Welcome to January! We have just recorded several of the coldest nights of 2013. An overnight low of minus 3.60 Fahrenheit was recorded Jan. 22 at the Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Center (NIARC). The cold temperatures cause discomfort for many of us, and present challenges to those who raise livestock or work outside. But is there a silver lining for farmers? Can the cold weather benefit farmers by decreasing survivability of insect pests? Winter insect mortality is affected by a number of variables including:

• Temperature fluctuations.

• Snow cover (insulating effect.)