There was not much going on in January except cold and wind and rain, and the bugs were quiet. Now with some warmth and sunshine, bugs are beginning to stir.

1. The most-asked question these days is how many bugs did the cold weather kill? The answer is very, very few. Most insects are very capable of protecting themselves by hibernating or finding protected areas, and some even have ethylene glycol – anti freeze – in their systems. Some that were exposed by cultivation or removing their cover were killed, but the rest are alive and well.

2. Aphids – these little pests are already active, especially on daylilies. Check your plants, and you’ll find in many cases heavy populations feeding and growing in the frons. If you do nothing, they can stunt development and shorten bloom time this season. Heavy infestations can cause some streaking in the foliage. Treatment with a systemic insecticide will help to eliminate these populations and allow your plants to grow and bloom normally. Figure 1.

3. Crane flies – These flies – they’re not giant mosquitoes – are beginning to emerge. These large, slender flies have long legs and are very delicate. They develop in the soil, feeding on organic matter in the late winter and spring. In the pupal stage they work their way to the top of the soil and emerge. The pupal cases are sometimes called leather jackets because they have a leathery appearance. These flies are harmless, but they can be a big nuisance when large populations emerge and collect around lights at night, coming inside when doors are opened. Removing lawn thatch will help to reduce populations, and changing outdoor lights to yellow will reduce their attraction, thus reducing the populations around doors. Figure 2.

4. Cold damage – Many of our woody plants and trees that started to bud and grow with the warm temperatures may have been injured by the few nights of cold weather. This will be a big attraction for a complex of little beetles called shot hole borers. These beetles are attracted to this damaged tissue and will bore into the terminals and cause additional damage to the plants. Pruning out the dead tissue and treating with Thionex or a pyrethroid will help prevent further injury. It would be more effective if an oil< such as ultra fine oil, is added to the spray and the pH is checked before the insecticide is added to the water. Figure 3.

5. Wasps and ladybeetles – Both of these insects have a bad habit of overwintering in the walls and attics of our homes and buildings. At this time of year when the weather warms, these insects begin to emerge from these resting places. The problem is, they cannot find the openings they entered through and will come out at any light source. Many times those light sources are the lights in our homes. These insects will come out of light fixtures and wall outlets and switches. The wasps can be a problem because they will sting, and the Asian ladybeetle, if mashed, will defecate on walls or cloth material and cause staining. These insects are attracted to the lights and can often be found at the windows trying to get outside. The vacuum cleaner is the best way to collect them -- be sure to get rid of the bag or close it off or they will crawl back down the hose to get out. To prevent them from being a nuisance next year, you need to closely examine the outside of your home and seal off cracks or opening that have allowed them to enter. These same openings could provide entrance for swarming honeybees or yellow jackets searching for a site to build a colony or nest to create other problems for you. Figure 4.

6. NPDN newsletter – Those who work with the first detector program get this newsletter, but for those who don’t, here is an example of the information the program reports each month. Check the link to find out more.

Please find the highlights of the January edition of NPDN First Detector Network News. We have updated the format and have also included a black and white version for those of you who have requested a printable version.

In this edition, you can find

• Detection of the brown marmorated stinkbug
• European oak borer detected in a trap in NY state
• Citrus greening quarantine expanded to include PR
• NPDN National Meeting a success!
• Employment and training opportunities and meetings

7. Silverfish/firebrats – These teardrop-shaped silver or pepper-spotted insects are very prominent in homes these cold days. They, like the firebrat, like hot, dry environments of the attic, but the cold weather is driving them down into the warmth of the house. They are starch feeders and can get into foods as well as books and eat the glue and paper. Treatments with pyrethroids will control these pests. They do not bite, but finding them in your dinner plates and bowls or in the sink or bathtub is not exciting. When treating, be sure to get sprays into the cracks and crevices for better management. Figure 5.

Figure 1. Aphid injury, caste skins and population on daylillies. Figure 2. Crane fly adult and larvae -- not giant mosquito. figure3. Shot hole borers that will infest cold-damaged tissue of woody ornamentals and trees. Figure 4. Wasps and ladybeetle that will overwinter in attic and walls if they can find a way in. Figure 5. Silverfish and firebrat that will scavenge in your homes, eating foods and starches.