RIGA - This winter's prolonged cold spell can affect some adventive insect species that have spread to Latvian territory from the south, Nikolajs Savenkovs, an entomologist at the Latvian National Museum of Natural History, told LETA.
The mild winters and warm summers of recent years have facilitated the spread of such insect species as the European mantis (Mantis religiosa) in Latvia. Savenkovs believes that this year's harsh winter could decimate the populations of such nonnative insects.
As for native insect species, they are accustomed to freezing temperatures. Savenkovs said that it is hard to predict how ticks, bark beetles, and other pests could be affected by this year's winter, as their survival depends on how well they have managed to insulate themselves. The entomologist added that under thick snow cover, insects are protected from the cold.
"Still, those that have not hidden themselves properly will perish. So we can probably predict that tick and mole cricket numbers will be lower," the entomologist said, adding that the low temperatures are also dangerous for pollinators.
As reported, this past January, air temperatures in Latvia averaged -8.7 degrees Celsius, which is 5.7 degrees below normal, or the 1991-2020 average, according to information released by the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center.
The first month of 2026 became the coldest January since 2010, and the second coldest since record-cold 1987. However, this year's January was only the 15th coldest on record, or since 1924, when measurements in Latvia started.
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