Degree Days - The degree day for July 17, 2024 base 50 is 2096.5. We keep track of this number because it tells us when insects are active. We cannot strictly go by the calendar. Last year on this date the degree day was 1768.5. The degree day calculation is a measurement of heat units over time, calculated from daily maximum and minimum temperatures. The next insect that we are preparing for is the cool season mite. They are active in spring and again in fall when the temperatures drop. They are active during degree day 2375 and 2806. They can do a lot of damage to Spruce Trees and Arborvitaes.
We have products that can control this mite.
The development of plants, insects, and fungi is dependent on heat. Development speeds up as the temperature rises and slows as temperatures decrease. Many plants and insects have been studied in regard to this relationship between heat and development. We can anticipate the flowering of a shrub, or the emergence of an insect, based on how many growing degree days have accumulated. We can give this information to our scouts …
