According to one researcher, the subzero temperatures could spell death for the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive species devastating the ash tree population in North American forests.

Rob Venette is a biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture who studies the cold hardiness of invasive forest insects as well as the species used to control the spread of invasive species. He notes that because insects are cold blooded, the temperature has a major impact on where they will spread and thrive.

With temperatures plunging to icy record lows across the nation, this could spell trouble for the Emerald Ash Borer, which Venette found had an average supercooling point of -13°Fahrenheit.  The lowest windchill temperatures in St. Paul, Minn. today read around 20 below, according to the National Weather Service, and are expected to reach lows of 18 below tonight and remain mostly in the teens for most of the upcoming week.

The Emerald Ash Borer is an Asian beetle smaller than the size of a penny. This non-native species was first discovered in the U.S. in 2002 in Michigan, according to the US Department of Conservation (U.S. DEC) and now is present in at least 18 states.

According to Venette’s study, when infected logs were left outside for about 5 weeks, 90% of the larvae died in temperatures -29.2°F.

The Emerald Ash Borer infects and kills North American ash species, with most trees dying within 2 to 4 years after becoming infected.

The U.S. DEC says the Emerald Ash Borer is responsible for the destruction of more than 50 million ash trees in the U.S. since its discovery in Michigan.