Winnipeg, MB – On Monday, June 17, 2019 weather permitting, the City of Winnipeg’s Insect Control Branch will commence its Emerald Ash Borer management program in Insect Management Areas 12 (Windsor Park), 13 (Worthington), 14 (Kingston Crescent, Minnetonka, Pulberry), 15 (Southland Park), 16 (Island Lakes, Royalwood), 18 (Vista), 25 (Beaumont, Crescent Park, Maybank, Wildwood), 30 (Central River Heights), 31 (Crescentwood, North River Heights, Wellington Crescent), 32 (Grant Park, Rockwood), 40, (Minto, St. Matthews), 41 (Wolseley), 42 (Daniel McIntyre, West Alexander), and 46 (Dufferin, Logan C.P.R., Lord Selkirk Park).
All of Winnipeg’s ash trees will eventually succumb to the threat of EAB over the next ten years so only healthy ash trees are being treated to slow the overall mortality of the trees. This will allow the City to proactively manage all of the ash tree removals that will eventually be required, and temporarily preserve this portion of our urban canopy.
“It's important to be proactive in slowing the mortality of our ash trees. We are selecting the best of the ash trees on public property for these injections, so we get the best value out of the treatments”, says Kerienne La France, Supervisor of Urban Forestry Technical Services.
For the second straight year, the city's intends to inject ash trees with insecticides capable of killing ash-borer larvae inside the trunks. “Winnipeg’s character and identity is largely shaped by our urban forest and the detection of the new invasive species has placed our forest under threat.
Treatment will occur between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, weather permitting. Treatment will occur on an ongoing basis until late July, utilizing the insecticides TreeAzin® (azadirachtin) or IMA-jet® (imidacloprid) which are injected directly into ash trees located on City property. Only ash trees selected for treatment by the Urban Forestry Branch based on predetermined criteria will be treated. These products have been approved for use in Canada by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and will be used in accordance with federally approved label directions by licensed pesticide applicators.
Register for notification
The Insect Control Branch offers an automated telephone and email notification system. Residents who register for this service will receive daily phone or email notifications for tree pest control activities. To register for the automated email or telephone notification system, residents can go to City of Winnipeg – Register for Notification or contacting 311.
More information
For more information, contact 311 or see: City of Winnipeg - Insect Control