Invasive pests like spotted lanternflies and emerald ash borers easily survive freezing winters across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast because they evolved in climates identical to their native ranges, FOX 5 DC reports.
Adult lanternflies die after the first hard frosts, but the species survives as eggs protected by a waxy ootheca. Lab studies show eggs can supercool to roughly –13°F to –17.8°F. Emerald ash borer larvae under bark can withstand even lower temperatures. Warming winters along the I-95 corridor rarely reach the sustained deep freezes needed for natural population control. The DMV continues to see pressure from both pests.
