In his weekly Call of the Land report, Alberta Agriculture insect management specialist Scott Meers says there is good news on bertha armyworm in the province this year. “We’re finding very few bertha armyworm moths, which means we’re not expecting any trouble with them this year,” he said.
Only three traps have been found with more than the minimum threshold level of 300 moths.
Meers said more areas are reporting grasshoppers this year, especially in the Peace River area.
English grain aphids have been reported in some areas. These are often orange but can be green, and can have an effect on yield before wheat enters the soft dough stage However high numbers are not being reported and Meers says control is best left to natural insect predators.
This week’s report from the Alberta Insect Pest Monitoring Network carried images of some of the aphid predators that can be seen in wheat (see below).
