"The record cold U.S. temperatures may have a silver lining - killing off some tree-eating forest pests that have spread dangerously as the general climate warms up, scientists said."
"The deep freeze that shattered decades-old records this week - causing fatalities and snarling air, road and rail traffic - could adversely affect pests such as the emerald ash bore, which is responsible for killing more than 10 million trees, said Robert Venette, a research biologist with the U.S. Forest Service in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Eighty percent of emerald ash bore may have been destroyed where temperatures fell to -22 to -26 Fahrenheit (-30 to 32 Celsius), he said.
'That's when they really start to freeze and die. And we've been seeing those kind of temperatures here in Minnesota, particularly in the Twin Cities and points north,' Venette explained."
Ian Simpson reports for Reuters January 9, 2014.
SEE ALSO:
"Celebrating Deep Freeze, Insect Experts See a Chance to Kill Off Invasive Species" (New York Times)
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