Warmer winters are also contributing to the high navel orangeworm pressure that experts believe almond growers will see this year. As less moisture and higher, low-temperature thresholds continue from the last few winters, so does the lower winter die-off rate for pests.
Cooperative Extension Integrated Pest Management Advisor Emily Symmes says the weather shift is making management in the Sacramento Valley challenging. Symmes says in a nutshell, the pest is starting earlier, with more populations and growing faster through the season, meaning more generations of the bug.