Summer has arrived in Winnipeg, and that means that the forest tent caterpillars have begun to show up in the area’s trees.
The city’s insect control branch has begun its program to help keep them under control. They have begun spraying the trees in insect management area 49 and will continue to monitor the levels of the caterpillars in other areas to make sure they are not getting out of hand.
So far, they have been found to be causing minimal damage to the trees, and it expected that this will continue to be the case, except in localized areas.
The forest tent caterpillars tend to feed on broad leafed trees, including elm, ash and maple, including some species that are used for ornamental purposes.
The city will keep the public informed about which areas will be sprayed through use of Public Service Announcements and its Insect Control News/Public Notices website. Brochure printers can produce pamphlets that can be mailed out to community residents to give them more information about the program, and how to find out when it may be in operation in their area.
The control measure that will be used is a liquid containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki bacteria, which is a biological agent that should not harm beneficial or harmless insects. The substance is also available at most garden centers for people to use in their own yards.
