Deep freeze expected to keep some insects in check

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Entomologists and tree experts see an upside to the recent extended period of subzero weather in northern New England.

They tell the Portland Press Herald that the deep freeze could tamp down insect populations that threaten backyard landscapes and woodlands across the region.

Jim Dill from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension said winter moth and hemlock woolly adelgid (uh-DELL’-jed) and possibly the brown-tail moth and spruce budworm may be especially susceptible to subzero temperatures.

But Dill said pesky ticks, mosquitoes and fleas likely won’t be affected. He said they’re either hitching a ride on warm-blooded creatures, or are dormant in ice-covered swamps and ponds or hidden in topsoil beneath the snow.

___

Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com