There is no denying that this winter was an unusual one for most of the U.S. Intense storms , warmer temperatures and lower - than - average precipitation levels have leave sodbuster scratching their heads . While a widespread summer - same end of wintertime advance many to get a jump on farming and gardening , last time of year ’s personal effects will not all be so pleasant going forward . Insect pests , in particular , should be on farmers ’ minds .
“ We ’re between two and three weeks onward , development - impertinent , of where we would be in a normal twelvemonth , ” say Mike Raupp , professor of entomology and extension specialist at the University of Maryland . Raupp ’s office is receive tick and mosquito reports well ahead of schedule , and he report that his own Mason bees , which ordinarily emerge on March 21 , made their first appearance on March 9 , 2012 .
There are several insect effects we can anticipate to see :
Earlier and More Constant AppearancesUnivoltine insects — those that produce a exclusive coevals per year , such as black vine weevils , gypsy moth and tent Caterpillar — will make their appearance earlier , but Raupp says there will not necessarily be more of them .
Multivoltine insects — those that produce multiple generation per year , such as grapevine Charles Edward Berry moth , aphids , spider mites , reek bugs and scale insect — will show up rather and will reproduce more often . “ When we have exceptionally warm years , they ’re capable to stick in more generations because they develop so rapidly , ” Raupp says .
Northern MigrationAs average temperatures have been rising over the year , entomologists have watched as louse mintage native to U.S. southern states , such as fire emmet and southerly plate insects , have exploit their way into more temperate region .
“ When we have mild wintertime , these cat that are beat back by wicked winters are n’t being beat back , ” Raupp explicate . So the southerly - autochthonic dirt ball are able to continue their borderland due north .
tiresome Growth , High MortalityThis last point is base on the slow outgrowth - high mortality hypothesis , which has not yet been testify by scientists .
“ When insects develop tardily , they may be more capable to their predator , ” Raupp say . But insects develop in warm temperature like we ’ve had this year , so “ if bug can develop very chop-chop , they may be able to escape some of their predators . … They rush through their vulnerable young stage . ”
This year , Farmer “ can hope that the predators do n’t observe these rules , ” Raupp says . “ I mean the bug are going to have a banner year . ”
There is some uncertainty among entomologists about what , exactly , we can ask from a winter like we experienced in 2011 - 2012 .
“ We know that extremely insensate temperatures will mitigate populations of some character of louse , ” Raupp says . “ We do n’t know as much about what a ardent winter way . ”
One thing Raupp says he does know , though , is that farmers need to be on precaution for worm sooner than usual to protect their crop : “ Push forward the dates they would scout their crops to face for these thing , in particular for the multivoltine pests . ”
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