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Tag Archives flea beetles

Wheat midge could be a concern this year in both Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Crops

Prairie insect pest outlook for 2023

Grasshoppers top the threat list but flea beetles, wheat midge, lygus bug, cutworms, bertha army worm and wheat stem sawfly are also risks in some areas

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The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network (PPMN) warns grasshoppers could be a problem for producers in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta if hot, dry conditions during the growing season persist into 2023. The network’s annual grasshopper survey is conducted in late summer and early fall by estimating the density of adult insects, usually in ditches along cereal […] Read more
A look at the damage flea beetles can cause to otherwise healthy canola plants.
Canola, Crops, Features

Tips for flea beetle control

The pros and cons of insecticide seed treatments and in-season foliar sprays, application advice and a concerning trend

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On average, more than 22 million acres of canola are planted in Western Canada each spring.  Flea beetles will damage or destroy a significant portion of those cropped acres in any given year. What can farmers do to best protect their crops? The two most common options are treated seed and insecticide sprays. Insecticide seed […] Read more
Flea beetles become active with the first extended period of warm weather in April and May. Striped flea beetles (shown) emerge from winter rest one to four weeks before the all-black crucifer flea beetles.
Canola, Crops, Features

Flea beetles in canola: to spray or not to spray

Scouting your canola fields early — right after crop emergence — should tell you if foliar insecticide is needed or not

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Flea beetles aren’t a persistent threat, but they can pose a serious problem for canola producers. Insecticide seed treatments generally do a good job of keeping these voracious insects in check, but if conditions are right, flea beetles can thrive and decimate a canola field in a matter of days. Last year’s drought in Western […] Read more
How to determine when to spray for flea beetles
Crops, Wheat & Chaff

How to determine when to spray for flea beetles

Q & A with an expert

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Q: What factors should I consider when spraying for flea beetles? A: Over the last couple of years, southern Saskatchewan has experienced high flea beetle pressure. The warm, dry springs we have had are favourable for flea beetle emergence and activity. However, those same weather conditions slow crop growth, leaving canola plants at a vulnerable […] Read more
Lots of seeds had germinated but failed to emerge from the soil. In some places, the plants had managed to emerge, but only their stems remained above ground.

Canola, Crops, Features

Crop advisor casebook: The case of the desiccated canola

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the November 2, 2020 issue of Grainews

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Matt is a grain farmer who grows 7,500 acres of wheat, malt barley, oats and canola at his place near Whitewood, Sask. He was out walking in his canola fields one day in early June when he came across some patches of withered, desiccated canola seedlings that fell apart as soon as they were touched. […] Read more
Two-striped grasshopper and wheat midge numbers on the rise in Saskatchewan
Crops, News

Two-striped grasshopper and wheat midge numbers on the rise in Saskatchewan

Another dry spring could also increase flea beetle pressure

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Exactly which insect pests will chomp their way into your crops this year and how much damage they’ll do depends on wind, weather and, above all, your scouting and management choices. This year, Saskatchewan growers should keep an eye out for rising populations of two-stripe grasshopper and wheat midge, meanwhile dry spring conditions will increase […] Read more
Flea beetle damage on a canola leaf.
Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Insect economic thresholds: what do they mean?

Q & A with CPS

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Q: What do insect economic thresholds mean? A: Insects can eat into your profits. They can appear at any time during the growing season and can cause damage that is patchy, scattered and difficult to gauge. Accurate estimation of both pest population and potential crop damage levels can only be obtained by thorough field scouting. […] Read more
Although there was lots of green in the field, some areas were patchy where the plant stand was thin. In other spots, entire rows were missing plants. There was no obvious pattern.
Canola, Crops, Features

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: What’s attracting seagulls to this canola field?

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the January 23, 2018 issue of Grainews

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Paul, who farms 3,500 acres north of Camrose, Alta., was convinced cutworms were taking a bite out of his canola crop. It was mid-June last year when he noticed his canola plant stand was thin. Also, many seagulls were circling the field. He thought cutworms were attracting the birds, as well as damaging his crop […] Read more
Crop emergence has generally been good in the northwest, local ag retailers report.
Crops, Weather

Guenther: Sask. farmers near end of seeding, optimism abounds

Saskatchewan Crop Report rates crops as good to excellent overall

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As Saskatchewan farmers wrap up the last bit of seeding, there’s abundant optimism for this year’s crop. “Our moisture conditions are good right now,” said Dave Shepherd, location manager for AgriTeam in Glaslyn, in north-western Saskatchewan. The crops, he added, are “looking really good.” West of Glaslyn, things are progressing nicely, said Ian Weber, sales […] Read more
cutworm on a leaf
Crops

Alberta weekly pest update

Update as of June 11, 2015

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In this week’s Call of the Land update, Alberta Agriculture pest management specialist Scott Meers talks about bertha armyworm traps, flea beetles, cutworms, and barley thrips. To hear Scott’s interview on the Alberta Agriculture website, click here.

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