Waters: Expect An Active Pest Season

The recent blast of cold air and snow the Northwest has seen over the past week is good news for the snowpack, but it may be too little, too late when it comes to disease pressures this growing season. Washington State University Extension’s Dr. Tim Waters says while the region has seen cold temperatures and several inches of snow over the past seven days, prior to that this winter has been very mild.

And a week of cold temperatures, he noted, is not enough to have a lasting impact on pests that will become active this spring and summer.

“One of the key things for pest and disease development is how cold that soil gets through the winter.  The soil at the surface is that cold, but as you dig down I’m certain that the ground is not frozen very deep at all right now, and that’s the way it’s been all winter.  So, that’s going to have a significant influence on pest development this season,” Waters added.

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