Due to a warm and dry winter, everything is earlier this year. Homeowners are already making decisions on what to plant in the yard and garden. Many are doing yard work sooner than normal. Perhaps Oregonians will be using pesticides earlier this year, too. Higher temperatures and a projected lack of water in 2015 could change the insect pest and disease outlook for homeowners. But there are steps people can take to better deal with unwanted bugs, plant diseases, and even rodents. “We are probably going into the growing season with a bit higher pest population,” says Rose Kachadoorian of the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Pesticides Program. “In a warm and dry year, you often end up with more problems because these pests are rapidly developing combined with plants that are stressed. There is a potential of increased pesticide use. But if people are careful in their plant selection and don’t allow their plants to become stressed, they could avoid having big pest problems.” Pest populations are often held in balance by natural enemies and weather. Mites, caterpillars, aphids, and beetle larvae are controlled by natural fungi present in the environment. The fungi do much better when the weather conditions are cool and moist. That isn’t the case this year. Without the usual checks and balances provided by a normal Oregon winter and spring, more insect pests may survive. “There is always some mortality from cold or cool and wet conditions that allow a natural fungus to kill an overwintering insect,” says Kachadoorian. Plant stress, due to a lack of soil moisture, often increases susceptibility to insect pests and diseases. The plant’s defenses are weakened, which allows the pests to get the better of it.
