Beetles Find It Tough Going In Manitoba

Manitoba has been using biocontrol beetles since 1988 in Spruce Woods Park, but the results haven’t been encouraging. In the 1990s, there were 3,500 beetle releases, mainly the black and brown flea beetle species, said John Johnson, president of the Manitoba Weed Supervisors Association. In 1996, 350,000 were brought in from a capture site in

Warmer World Equals More Pests

Beetles killing trees in North America, bluetongue disease ravaging livestock in Europe, and borers destroying African coffee crops are examples of migrating invasive species not getting enough attention at global climate talks, scientists said Dec. 8. Invasive pests have plagued agriculture and nature for thousands of years as mankind’s migrations brought them to places without


Climate Change Forcing Insect Species Northward

The biggest harbingers of climate change may be some of nature’s smallest creatures: insects. A massive northward migration of insects is currently underway, signalling a rise in global temperatures, a scientific conference in Winnipeg heard. Over the past 25 years, 52 per cent of insects species have moved their natural habitats to the north by

Flea Beetles Don’t Like Hairy Legs

In the future, farmers may be eliminating one pesticide application on their canola. Researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Saskatoon Research Centre are developing “hairy” canola plants that prevent flea beetles from feeding on the leaf and stem surfaces of newly emerged canola seedlings. This physical barrier means flea beetle resistance will be built into


Bugs Free For The Picking

“If you’ve ever seen fleas on a dog, how they jump and go crazy – that’s how these things move” – Nancy Gray, Iaps Co-Ordinator For Eastern Saskatchewan The best things in life are free, they say. That includes leafy spurge beetles. A bug net, a paper bag, a cooler and some ice packs are