JANUARY FOOL'S DAYS: BUGS WANT US TO THINK IT'S APRIL.

Byline: Scott Maben The Register-Guard

Nature is stirring to an early wake-up call. Blueberry buds are swollen, gnats are swarming and bumblebees are bumbling. And on the coast, wild dogwoods are flowering.

A January that feels more like April has coaxed bugs, bulbs and blooms out weeks sooner than normal.

"We've seen lots of hatchlings of little gnats, the tiny buggers that bite," said Jeff Chastain, owner of C&M Stables in Florence.

Chastain also has spotted early arrivals of ground bees, bumblebees, bald eagles and other birds. Wednesday morning, he was surprised to see dogwoods in full bloom - something that usually happens in March.

"They're just solid white," he said. "That tells me one of two things: We really are having an early spring, or we're going to get fooled."

Some insects emerging now could get thumped by a cold snap before spring arrives for good, said Lynn Royce, an entomologist with the Oregon State University Extension Service in Corvallis.

"We'll see some insects enjoying this kind of change and others which are not," Royce said. "Anytime the weather warms up, the insects respond. Because we have a mild climate, they are capable of doing this."

For instance, honeybees will "break cluster" and go looking for pollen, even as very little food is available now. With filbert trees in bloom, the bees will go after them for pollen, she said.

Royce has taken calls about large populations of springtails, which are little insects that live in the soil and hop around on the ground. Homeowners also may see ladybugs, flies and box elder bugs that hibernate in attics and back rooms begin to emerge.

"They'll crawl around and hang out until it gets cold again, then will go back to bed," she said.

But it's difficult to know if warm weather now will mean more or fewer bugs later, Royce added.

"For certain species, the warm conditions we're seeing now are just perfect," she said. "It's bizarre to say the least."

Ross Penhallegon, a Lane County Extension Service agent, is tracking the effects of springlike weather as well.

"We're seeing things pushing up earlier than normal," including peonies, crocuses and other bulbs, Penhallegon said. "It's still cold at night, but those 60- to 70-degree days really promote the growth of all plants. Blueberries have some really big buds on them, so that's way ahead of schedule."

For fruit growers, early blooms will be exposed to frost damage longer this year, increasing the risk of no fruit.

"We can't really do anything about tree fruits and shrubs to slow them down," he said.

The good news is that apples, pears, peaches and plums all look dormant still, Penhallegon said.

But he advises growers to break out their copper spray now to treat fungal and bacterial problems before buds break out on all fruit trees and bushes, including berries and grapes. The spray should not be used now on filberts, however.

Gardeners worried about their bulbs can slow the growth by placing wet straw over them, Penhallegon said.

As for insects, a heavy freeze in March or April could wipe out the spring aphid hatch, he said, but also may pulverize populations of insects that pollinate flowers and crops.

Common pests such as ants, flies and mosquitoes already may be making an appearance in some areas. A longer breeding season could improve the odds of a local case this year of West Nile virus, carried by mosquitoes.

"It's in Benton County now, so it's just knocking on Lane County's door," Penhallegon said.