Simply put a degree day is the accumulation of heat after a set temperature. Insect development is usually calculated on a base of 50 degrees. Degree days are a more accurate way of predicting insect development than are dates because temperatures vary each year. For many of our common pests scientists have calculated what stage of development an insect is in for specific degree days. Knowing what stage a pest is in is important because most insects are much more susceptible to control measures in one life stage than in others. Scale for example is very difficult to control as an adult, yet fairly easy to control in its juvenile stage (called a crawler). Some universities and other agencies have monitors in various locations that calculate and report degree days. The university of New Hampshire does this for where I live.
The only way I could get the chart to show up formatted is using a Google presentation..
This is a link.
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now I know that is why stink bugs flew in our house during night in the cold season because they want to feel heat in the lamp.
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