Tree pest caterpillar control program starts Monday

Released: May 16, 2024 at 11:29 a.m.

Winnipeg, MB – Those sticky, goopy, creepy crawlers are back – and so is our annual tree pest caterpillar control program.

Weather permitting, we will start spraying for tree pest caterpillars Monday night. We will target insect management areas:

  • IMA 30 (Central River Heights and South River Heights)
  • IMA 36 (Booth and Silver Heights)

We expect to spray daily except for Fridays and Saturdays for the next four weeks. We will only spray if weather conditions allow.

“The tree pest caterpillars have hatched based on the most current surveillance data and they are actively feeding on leaves” said David Wade, Superintendent of Insect Control. “Winnipeggers can expect to see moderate levels of defoliation in some parts of the city based on our observations.”

We treat boulevards, City parks and cemeteries where tree pest caterpillars are plentiful and where we’ve noticed them starting to defoliate trees. We will decide on locations based on daily inspections by ground surveillance crews.

We apply Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki (Btk), a biological, organic product from high-pressure sprayers directly onto the foliage of the trees. Once Btk is ingested by the tree pest caterpillars, they stop feeding and die approximately three days later.

This product has 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.

Buffer zones
Buffer zones make it so we can’t apply Btk within 30 metres of a specific property.

Residents can apply for a buffer zone adjacent to their principal residence. Applications must include a letter and photo ID linking you to the address in question. They can be submitted:

We require a minimum 72-hour turnaround time.

Register for notification
We provide an automated daily telephone and email notification system for insect control activities. Residents can register online or by contacting 311.

For more information, visit: winnipeg.ca/insectcontrol.

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