many of us.. will have opportunities to plant things in spaces now left vacant by foo foo stock.. that has no sense of humor ...

ken

Should be a setback for Emerald Ash Borer in some areas. From a recent news article below:

34% of EAB larvae die when the temperature hits 10 below zero.

79% of the larvae die at 20 below zero.

98% perish when the temp is 30 below zero.

Bugs get killed.

Some marginally hardy invasives get a set back.

I like trying to find the silver lining!

ginkgo, I was reading that too. I'm expecting at least 50-60% of the EAB larvae to die in my county. The only reason they spread this far north is due to the lack of cold over the past decade. The ash rival the sugar maples in the forests around here...I can't fathom their demise.

Japanese Beetle will be set back quite a bit as well depending on snow cover.

Following is a summary of a related piece done by NPR yesterday; it includes a link to the broadcast audio.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Upside Of The Bitter Cold: It Kills Bugs That Kill Trees

This "it kills bugs" is simplistic (and NPR cannot be trusted for anything). It can also kill the bugs that prey on the pests and I'm not sure I've noticed any change in tree-pest-levels after a very cold winter. I do notice honeybees can suffer after hard winters, tho.

i was hoping for vermin reduction more than bugs...

moles.. voles... field mice.. etc ...

i think i have had some birds of prey eying up the rabbits also ... but i dont know if they continued south.. but even if they did.. that means they will have to come back this way in spring ... no .. i doubt many of them stayed up north this winter ... the ones with migratory instinct i mean ...

and as conifers are trees... i now have a reason to get rid of a few more emerald green arbs [smargard] .... due to splaying of multiple leaders ... not really a cold issue.. but a winter issue ...

ken

beng, the honey bee is WI's state insect and tolerates our -20 winters. Unless you have a different strain not sure why they'd be affected by the cold in your area. However since they have been on decline the size of colonies has been effecting their winter hardiness.

As for the exotics there are many studies regarding the decline of exotic insects with regards to cold hardiness. Don't have to just go off teh NPR.

Granted your area doesn't get cold enough to affect most exotic insects.

Amusingly, honey bee is an exotic insect.

Yes technically they where brought over to NA 400 years ago. Sure you caught my drift though?

Edit: Is it more accurate to call an insect like EAB an invasive exotic insect?

This post was edited by whaas on Mon, Jan 13, 14 at 9:57

My Live oak "late drop" were put to the test of -10F, true zone 6 temps and have most of their evergreen leaves still, while some are tan on the ends. More than half their leaves are still green And on the trees as of today Jan 14, 2014. I am hoping they continue to do this good. The teens and 20's coming up should make them yawn.

We are getting below zero single digits and teens, the worst cold in about 30 years, my Live oaks are rough looking but holding leaves, so far. My other plants should be okay.

Sounds like the true test for the live oaks is eminent! Good luck, Poaky

I think the duration of the cold might prove worse than minimum temps.