Bitter winter cold kills some pests, but not all | Iowa

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – The recent cold weather will kill some, but not all, insects in the region.

According to the Quad-City Times, locals will still have to deal with Japanese beetles and emerald borer next summer.

Iowa State University entomologist Donald Lewis says cold temperatures still kill some insects, but enough remains to survive in order to repopulate the area in the next breeding cycle.

Lewis says that Japanese beetles known for their voracious appetite already have worms at a depth of about 4 to 6 inches underground, so that these are not affected by the cold of the air.

Lee Frelich, of the University of Minnesota, conducted research to show that it was unlikely that the desert borer would die in very cold weather, but their numbers could be reduced.