European corn borer has been a sporadic problem in Manitoba since the pest was discovered here in 1948.

Fighting European corn borer? Manitoba Agriculture wants to hear from you

There’s been no Bt resistance yet in Manitoba’s European corn borer population, 
but entomologist John Gavloski is keeping a sharp eye out

John Gavloski is back on the hunt for European corn borer (ECB). The provincial entomologist hopes to collect 50-100 larvae from Carman-area fields this year, part of a long-standing project to monitor resistance to Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), a toxin-producing bacteria and the most commonly cited ECB management method. Bt is either used as a spray,

Soybean aphids in a field near Portage la Prairie photographed July 26, 2017.

Get scouting, soybean aphids showing up in fields

When populations hit 250 and are still rising consider applying an insecticide, but don’t forget to take beneficial insects into account. There’s an app for that

Soybean aphids can now be found in many Manitoba fields and farmers should be scouting for them, John Gavloski, Manitoba Agriculture’s extension entomologist, said in an interview July 27. As of last week populations were generally well below the economic threshold, but some higher populations did exist, he said. Some spraying was going on in


Aphid mummies.

Assessing whether or not to spray soybean aphids?

There’s an app for that, but farmers still need to scout and take beneficial insects that prey on soybean aphids into account

Uncertain about applying an insecticide to control soybean aphids? There’s an app for that. It’s called the Aphid Advisor and it not only takes into account the soybean aphid population, but the population of six main insects that prey on soybean aphids. “Instead of having a fixed, economic threshold like we are used to having

Redbacked cutworm larvae and pupae. The pest overwinters as eggs and populations can show quite variable staging. Many will now be into their later larval stage.

Fairly average year for cutworms, flea beetles

Cutworms may be taking a bite out of your canola, but with proper planning 
they won’t eat into yields


Cutworms and flea beetles continue to affect some canola fields in the province, but experts say that while cutworm damage may be marginally lower this year than last, beetle damage may have scuttled ahead of previous years. Still, the margins are slim at best. “I think every year is a flea beetle and cutworm year,”


A lygus bug prepares to wreak havoc on a canola plant.

Shining a light on the creepy crawly side of agriculture

Entomologist John Gavloski is warning producers to maintain beneficial bugs found in crops

Not all bugs are made equal and entomologist John Gavloski is warning producers of “collateral damage” in their beneficial insects. “Certainly we’ve got insects that feed on the crops, but we’ve also got a lot of beneficial insects that feed on those insects that feed on the crops and when those are numerous, often the

Corn rootworm is in Manitoba, but there’s an easy solution — rotate.

More corn rootworm found in Manitoba

It’s already a major pest in the U.S. Corn Belt, but it can still be easily controlled here

There’s another reason not to grow corn on corn in Manitoba: corn rootworm. The insect, which as its name implies, feeds on corn roots and is a major pest in the American Corn Belt, is showing up in greater numbers in Manitoba. But Manitoba Agriculture entomologist John Gavloski says there’s an easy fix: crop rotation.


Larvae on sclerotinia infected plant tissue.

Crop insect concerns low, some soybean crops report brown spot

Manitoba Insect and Disease summary for August 17

Summary Insects: Insect pest concerns are currently low. Most canola crops are now past the stage where Lygus bugs would be of concern. Only trace levels of soybean aphids have been found so far. Grasshopper counts have so far generally been low. Plant pathogens: Various diseases continue to be reported in field crops.. Disease Update Corn:

Flea beetles in canola and cutworms in several crops were the main insect problems in Manitoba in 2015, but overall it wasn’t a terrible insect year for Manitoba farmers, says MAFRD entomologist John Gavloski.

Flea beetles, cutworms top list of insects bugging Manitoba farmers in 2015

Alfalfa weevils, army worms, corn borer, soybean aphids and 
lygus bugs showed up in some fields too

Insects didn’t take a massive bite out of Manitoba crops in 2015, but there were some nibbling problems caused mainly by flea beetles and cutworms, says Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development entomologist John Gavloski. Alfalfa weevil populations were high enough in many alfalfa fields to cause economic damage and army worms were a concern


Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a vinegar (fruit) fly of East Asian origin that can damage many crops by piercing healthy fruit and laying its eggs.

Spotted Wing Drosophila an unwelcome visitor to fruit farms this summer

MAFRD began monitoring for SWD in 2013 and this is the worst year yet, say provincial fruit crops specialist

Altona-area fruit grower Waldo Thiessen knew what was wrong immediately when his U-pick customers started calling back a few hours after their first day in his raspberry patch in mid-July. “They said they’d started to make jam, and, well, there was a lot of protein (in the raspberries),” he said. It was larvae of spotted

Traps to monitor adult moths of bertha armyworm are currently only at levels suggesting low risk of damage.

Manitoba crop insect and disease update

Conditions as of July 14, 2015

Some localized higher populations of armyworms and grasshoppers are present. So scouting is encouraged, although in many cases populations are noticeable but not economical. Armyworms continue to be found in many cereal fields. In many fields they are noticeable but not economical, however some fields have had levels greater than the 4 or more larvae/ft2