Seven beneficial insects on your farm

Seven beneficial insects on your farm

When making crop production management decisions, consider beneficial insect populations. These harmless bugs can provide adequate control if their populations are high enough. Some beneficial insects are hard to identify, but with some basic training producers should be able to spot them in the field. The following beneficial insects are found in most crops in […] Read more



Nature’s fly control program

Nature’s fly control program

Parasitic wasps won’t eliminate flies, but can reduce numbers

With the arrival of spring comes the new crop of flies. Since experiencing fly strike last year, controlling the fly population is more of a priority. Last summer we began to notice not only were sprays not working as well as they used to, they are getting harder to find. This is due to tighter restrictions […] Read more

English grain aphids at different life stages. These cereal aphids double their reproductive rate once they start feeding on cereal grain heads.

The new phone app for info on aphids

AAFC’s first smartphone app will help farmers scout and sample for aphids and their predators

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) is testing a new aphid app in the field this summer, which should be widely available by next growing season. The cereal aphid app is the first smartphone app developed by AAFC, says Dr. Tyler Wist, a federal research scientist based in Saskatoon. It will guide cereal growers and agronomists […] Read more


Lining up the beneficial beetles from an insect trap. These are melanarius beetles, which belong to the carabid, or ground beetle, family. 
Ground beetles prey on pest insects. 


Want to know which bugs are in your field? Try traps

Trapping beneficial beetles can help you see just what’s living on your land

Wondering what types of beneficial insects you have beetling around your fields? Try a ground trap. “It’s nice to know that you’ve got some good guys in there that are eating the bad guys,” said Patty Reid, a research tech with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. There isn’t an economic threshold for beneficial insects such as […] Read more