Press Herald Interviews Dill, Alyokhin About Insects in Winter

Jim Dill, a pest management specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Andrei Alyokhin, a professor of applied entomology at UMaine, spoke with the Portland Press Herald for an article about how Maine insects survive, and sometimes thrive, during the winter. Experts say some pests, including ticks, black flies and browntail moth caterpillars have acclimated well to harsh winters and deep snow, which acts as an insulating blanket against the frigid air, according to the article. “This really cold weather we’ve had, it would really be nasty to overwintering insects, but unfortunately, most of them are 3 feet under, fat and happy,” Dill said. According to Alyokhin, cold winters are usually bad for insect mortality if the conditions — bare ground with prolonged cold — are right.