Natural Resources
Growing Degree Days in Barnstable Village: 75
Base is 50 degrees. Winter Moths hatch between 20 and 50 GDD.
Click here for information about 2012 Winter Moths
March 26, 2012 Winter Moth Update
We have been scouting for winter moth larvae on two blueberry farms beginning last Monday, March 19, 2012. No larvae were found even though we were over 50 degree days (hatch is reported to occur from 20 to 50 degree days).
Additional samples were taken this morning...hatch is underway. A blueberry farm in West Barnstable had 4.4% of the buds infested while a second blueberry farm in East Dennis was a 1.3%.
As of yesterday, there was about 80% hatch off Cape. Survey work off Cape also reported high mortality of winter moth eggs on the southwest sides of tree trunks. Research at UMass-Amherst demonstrated that temperatures above 80F can be lethal to overwintering winter moth eggs.
