Polar Vortex Could Curb Emerald Ash Borer Larvae Population

The emerald ash borer, from pupae to adult. (Photo by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)
The emerald ash borer, from pupae to adult. (Photo by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

The emerald ash borer, from pupae to adult. (Photo by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)The emerald ash borer, from pupae to adult. (Photo by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)As wind chills reached -50 degrees in some areas of the United States due to the polar vortex, cars stall and eyelashes freeze within minutes of walking outdoors. But there may be one perk of the dangerous subzero temperatures plaguing the North: emerald ash borer control.

Temperatures below 20 degrees have been known to have a significantly negative impact on the larvae of the emerald ash borer, according to researchers in Minnesota. The mortality rate of the invasive beetle, largely cited as the reason for the swift decline of the ash tree in the U.S., can reach 90 percent when temperatures drop below -30 degrees.

Because they are insulated by the bark of the emerald ash, the larvae are not impacted by wind chill, according to Inforum, so it’s all up to the temperature.

In Fargo, N.D., temperatures dropped as low as -33 degrees Jan. 30.

“It’s definitely going to help ash trees,” Research Biologist Rob Venette told Inforum. “This is going to set back emerald ash borer populations, and in some places quite a bit.”

It might be a bit soon to get too optimistic, however, as the pesky ash borer is nothing if not determined. In 2014, following one of the harshest winters in years, not a single dead ash borer larva was found.

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