Editorial: Wild things roaming

A few years back, an acquaintance returned to school at mid-career and studied natural resource management. He was lucky enough to land a job with the province that first summer, checking boats at a stop on the Trans-Canada Highway at the Manitoba-Ontario border, to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. I mentioned that this sounded

Open season on wild pigs not the answer

Open season on wild pigs not the answer

Unfocused sport hunting will only 
make the problem worse

Is an open season on wild pigs the answer? Likely not, according to most of the experts, who say it’s likely that could actually make the problem worse. Private hunting may actually scatter a sounder and spread the problem unless the whole group is contained, Canadian Pork Council veterinary counsellor Dr. Egan Brockhoff said at


A wild pig sounder can grow very quickly in size.

Wild pigs on the loose: A pending threat in Manitoba

The population of feral pigs is growing and the province doesn’t have a strategy to address it

How many wild pigs are roaming agro-Manitoba? Nobody knows the answer to that question, and that’s going to be a problem for the province. Ryan Brook, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan who was educated at the University of Manitoba has the best handle, and even he admits his numbers are far from certain.

A customer eats an ‘insect tsukemen’ ramen noodle topped with fried worms and crickets at Ramen Nagi restaurant in Tokyo on April 9, 2017. (Photo: Reuters/Kim Kyung-Hoon)

Farming insects may solve one problem, create others

Rome | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Insects have great potential as an alternative source of protein, but further research is urgently needed before mass production begins in order to avoid environmental disaster, Swedish researchers warned Monday. There is currently an “overwhelming lack of knowledge” on basic questions such as suitable species, their housing and feed

Candace Parks (centre) talks to attendees of a training session.

Aquatic invasive species training sessions held in Manitoba

Everyone needs to be aware and help protect our water bodies

Last month, fire trucks were temporarily removed from the Sandy Lake Fire Hall and replaced with a motorboat, Jet Ski, canoe, kayak and water-related equipment, such as paddles, anchors, fishing rods and bait buckets. Organized by the Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve (RMBR) and Friends of Sandy Lake, with the assistance of the Municipality of Harrison


The U.S. Midwest has been fighting emerald ash borer for years. Seen here is a residential street in Toledo, Ohio. Both photos were taken in the summer. The first is from 2006 when emerald ash borer was first discovered, the second shows the near-total devastation the pest caused by 2009.

LAID WASTE: emerald ash borer a looming threat

A concerted effort will be necessary to preserve ash trees that shelter homes and fields

A village council in Manitoba’s Interlake thinks it’s a good idea to prevent an invasive insect from destroying local trees. Dunnottar just doesn’t know what it would do if emerald ash borer (EAB) chews its way into town. “We’ve sort of been aware of it,” said Village of Dunnottar Mayor Rick Gamble. “But we’re not

The Jerusalem artichoke has revealed the genetic advantage of invasive species.

Invasive weeds have genetic advantage

A single trait, which developed independently in multiple situations, drives invasive success

They say a weed can grow almost anywhere, and researchers at the University of British Columbia have found the reason is genetic. They looked at one successful weedy plant, the Jerusalem artichoke, to see why it survives, thrives and spreads. Understanding how invasive plants evolve and the genetic underpinnings that enable them to thrive in

Masses of multicoloured Asian lady beetles often form in darker, concealed locations, says Manitoba Agriculture entomologist John Gavloski.

Getting bugged

Last year was a particularly bad outbreak, but that won’t necessarily carry over

Homeowners were aghast last fall when nightmarish numbers of Asian lady beetles descended on their doorsteps, then made themselves right at home — indoors. These bugs “completely enveloped” their new home one day last September, recalls Susan Mooney, a retired public health nurse who lives with her husband on a rural acreage near Carman. “They


Morden prepares to battle the bug

Morden prepares to battle the bug

The city has just unveiled its 10-year strategy to manage for emerald ash borer’s imminent arrival here. Morden officials will speak at a workshop next month on what actions other rural communities can take

Morden isn’t waiting until it discovers the emerald ash borer (EAB) in its midst to take action to protect its public trees. Starting later this winter the city will begin systematically removing the tree species that would otherwise attract the invasive beetle. One hundred and fifty green ash trees will be taken down in 2018

Kudzu, or Japanese arrowroot, is an invasive vine that climbs and encases anything it encounters, including native vegetation like these trees in Mississippi. It’s sometimes called ‘the vine that ate the South.’

Scientists want to understand behaviour of invasive weeds

Why are certain plants able to enter a new ecosystem and run riot?

Is it possible to predict which non-native plant species will become invasive weeds and when? According to research featured in the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management, the answer is “hopefully yes.” Researchers say invasive species generally follow a three-phase development curve — from lag to expansion to plateau. The length and rapidity of the