Sorry to disappoint you, but freezes don’t kill all the garden insects. I lied. Still, some of the flora and fauna pests took a beating this week. And, unfortunately, others may be trying to make your home their home. Despite the freeze, critters are buggin’ out there!
Adult slugs are probably done for the season, but their eggs are laying dormant waiting for the temps to get to around 40F before they burst forth to forage for food among our snow-tortured, blackened plants. Root weevil larvae is resting quietly in dormancy, deep in the soil where it is unlikely to freeze. (And knowing those suckers, it’s unlikely that a freeze would take them out anyway.)
Abandoned Papery Hornet Nest in Winter
Bee nests, like this hornet nest, should be vacant after a deep freeze. And, the bees won’t repopulate it next year. Taking them down to explore with kids is fun — if the wind hasn’t blown them away already. Only approach them if you KNOW the weather has frozen and the nest is abandoned. And, as much as you might think of hornets as a pest, remember they have lots of beneficial purposes in the garden too. Plus, they aren’t aggressive so long as you don’t attack their homes!
And, a freeze isn’t going to do a darn thing to stop weed seeds from sprouting. Seeds can remain frozen for years and still remain viable. So, unfortunately, we’ll all be weeding next spring (or even sooner if the weather gets back to normal).
So the good news is, adult slugs and other bugs are probably dead and gone. The bad news is your garden is going to face a resurgence after things melt and we get back to our temperate Seattle winter. But, perhaps when those slug eggs hatch they’ll starve unless they decide to start snacking on emerging shot weed. Now wouldn’t that be a coup d’etat in the garden?!
And, rodent pests are particularly invasive during this weather. Likely, they’re moving into our homes, autos and garages seeking food and shelter from the storm. Make sure your house is sealed up tight. The last thing you want to deal with is rats, mice or squirrels taking up residence! Not only will the adults survive happily in your attics and crawl spaces, but so will their children, grandchildren and so on…
Tags: freeze, germination, pests, seattle, slugs, snow, weeds
