# The Cold and Insect Pests



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Two Ohio State specialist talk about what if any impact this winters brutal lows may have upon some of our ag pests.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/did_the_cold_snap_kill_off_those_pesky_bugs_NAA_University_News_Release/


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I know it ain't bout skeeters.......but damn it jim, other day it was 17 degrees, cold for two days, four days later went to the woods and bout got carried out by em, thnk they may be developing some kinda cold tolerance, or these was Yankee skeeters......snow skeeters


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

somedevildawg said:


> I know it ain't bout skeeters.......but damn it jim, other day it was 17 degrees, cold for two days, four days later went to the woods and bout got carried out by em, thnk they may be developing some kinda cold tolerance, or these was Yankee skeeters......snow skeeters


They might be Minnesota skeeters. 17 degree weather just makes them hungrier.

BTW: I read a while back that the normal winter survival rate for most insects is about 10%. That's why I like some of that 10 below weather (some, but not too much. I'm not a fanatic!). IMO, it's a natural pesticide, especially if it hits on bare ground. I'd like to see the ground froze hard 6-12" most winters.

The last two years, we had winters that were pretty mild (the ferries never shutdown because if river ice) and certain insects, like alfalfa weevils, really came on strong. Skeeters were not that much of a problem, probably because of the drought two years ago.

Ralph


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Drought is the best control for skeeters.....Kansas has some monster skeeters too.....they sound like huey helicopters coming in for a landing. If I hunt there in late September before the first killing freeze, the skeeters have tried to drag me out of my tree stands in certain locales. 

Regards, Mike


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

The worst skeeter bites I ever had was in Wyoming hiking in the snow. This was in June around 10,000 feet in elevation.....very strange being in snow and getting eaten alive by skeeters....also got sunburned really bad.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Got sunburned on the tops of my legs really bad one time white water rafting down the Colorado river.

This ol' Cajun boy from Louisiana said he had just the cure - DMSO. Took two wash clothes, laid them across the top of my legs and poured that DMSO on them so they were saturated. Told me to get them there as long as I could stand it. Kept them on about 10-15 minutes (DMSO burns really bad!) till I had tears running down my cheeks.

Never blistered, peeled, or even felt anything after that. Wearing blue jeans the next day didn't bother me. Nothing! The DMSO took all the heat out!

BUT....It did cause very bad garlic breath and my wife wouldn't even let me close.

Fixed the sunburn great, but killed my love life!

Ralph


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

rjmoses said:


> Got sunburned on the tops of my legs really bad one time white water rafting down the Colorado river.
> 
> This ol' Cajun boy from Louisiana said he had just the cure - DMSO. Took two wash clothes, laid them across the top of my legs and poured that DMSO on them so they were saturated. Told me to get them there as long as I could stand it. Kept them on about 10-15 minutes (DMSO burns really bad!) till I had tears running down my cheeks.
> 
> ...


What's DMSO?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

DMSO is Di Methyl Sulf Oxide - It is a byproduct of paper manufacturing and is used as a horse liniment to stimulates circulation.

A little bit goes a looooong way!

Ralph


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The skeeters have been coming in on the firewood all winter. Not sure what kinda antifreeze they got but going from -30 to inside they are flying in less than 5 seconds.


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