Pests & Pathogens in Dormancy: Overwintering Strategies & Spring Threats

Many of the most damaging insects and diseases survive the winter in hidden forms—eggs, larvae, spores, or infected tissue—before emerging as major threats in spring. This course provides arborists with strategies to identify, monitor, and disrupt overwintering pests and pathogens.

Participants will examine insect life cycles, fungal and bacterial survival strategies, and site conditions that influence dormancy. Integrated pest management (IPM) practices for fall and winter will be emphasized, including sanitation, pruning, and monitoring techniques that reduce pressure before the next growing season.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify common insects and pathogens that overwinter in bark, roots, or soil.
• Explain insect and pathogen life cycles that influence dormancy and spring emergence.
• Apply late-season and winter IPM strategies, including sanitation, monitoring, and cultural controls.
• Develop management recommendations that reduce pest and disease pressure in the following growing season.