Wireworms have been an agricultural pest on the Prairies for more than 100 years, but they remain a bit of a mystery. Growers and agronomists in Western Canada know that wireworms are a problem, but they don’t understand the size of the problem or the economic impacts of wireworms. Wireworms are also difficult to find […] Read more
Tag Archives crop pests
Farmers urged to keep watch for flea beetles
Insect traps monitored by Saskatchewan Agriculture have shown significant numbers over the past couple of weeks
It’s never too early in the growing season to start scouting for yield-robbing insects. James Tansey, a pest management specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, said growers should be on the lookout for flea beetles as soon as canola seedlings begin to emerge. Striped flea beetles can be voracious feeders and are typically active before the cruciferous […] Read more
Pest monitoring network helps track potential threats
Website includes risk maps and information about prevalent species, scouting procedures and economic thresholds
In today’s digital world, there are millions of internet sources offering information on just about every topic under the sun. For prairie grain and oilseed growers, one of the most useful sources of information is the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network at www.prairiepest.ca. Growers can visit the website and subscribe to PPMN’s weekly pest updates. The […] Read more
Insect forecast shows pest potential
Wheat midge and wheat stem sawfly are among the crop pests likely to cause problems in Alberta this year, according to recently posted data and maps from the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network. Although nothing replaces personal field monitoring or “boots in the field,” as the network regularly states, forecasts based on a 2020 fall […] Read more
Farmers warned to be vigilant for cutworms
This spring is looking like it will be early and dry, which is when it can be trickiest to manage cutworms. “When it’s early, dry and cool, growers sometimes wait too long to scout for cutworms, thinking a field is just slow to germinate or to green up because of the weather,” said Jennifer Otani, […] Read more
Wheat midge predators find new home in Montana
A wheat midge outbreak in Montana recently sent two entomologists on a cross-border hunting trip into Saskatchewan. Gadi Reddy and Brian Thompson of Montana State University were collecting parasitoid wasps in Saskatchewan wheat fields to take back and release in the state’s wheat producing areas. “Around six years ago we started to get wheat midge […] Read more
