Reading Time: 2 minutes Why are neonicotinoids attracting so much attention? The controversy around neonicotinoids is a global one. There are places where neonicotinoids are associated with bee kills and there are places where they are not. The science around neonics and their effects on bees has some inconsistent elements. There hasn’t been any strong colony-level field tests, for […] Read more
Expert: Neonics are an issue — and also an easy target
Neonics ban results in bug damage to crops
Rapeseed crops show damage four weeks after planting
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters – Rapeseed crops in Germany are suffering unusually high levels of insect damage this autumn following the European Union’s ban on neonics, says the German farming association DBV. Some farmers may suffer lower yields in the upcoming 2015 rapeseed harvest, it said. The EU has decided to restrict neonicotinoids which have been linked to […] Read more
A better way to beat your bug troubles
Integrated pest management allows beneficial bugs to prosper
Reading Time: 2 minutes Prevention — not eradication — is the trick to managing pest outbreaks in crops, says a B.C. government entomologist. “In integrated pest management, pest suppression is truly the goal,” Tracey Hueppelsheuser said at a workshop in late July. “The end goal is to limit pest outbreaks and impacts — not completely remove them, but limit […] Read more
Check the bertha map, and if it looks like an alligator, leave it
Reading Time: < 1 minute In his weekly Call of the Land interview, Alberta Agriculture pest specialist Scott Meers says there is a high risk of bertha armyworm infestation in the Lacombe/Stettler area and moderate risk elsewhere. He suggests checking the bertha trap map and zooming in to check the risk in your area. Meers says there are some reports of wheat […] Read more
Weekly Alberta insect report — a few bertha hot spots
Reading Time: < 1 minute In his weekly Call of the Land broadcast, Alberta Agriculture insect management specialist Scott Meers says bertha armyworm levels are fairly low across the province with the exception of some hot spots, with the highest numbers in a trap east of Lacombe and another west of Stettler. Meers says there have been reports of skippers, mostly […] Read more
Pea leaf weevil popping up in south
Pea or faba bean crops seeded in mid- to late May will likely see a reduced risk of pea leaf weevil infestation this summer
Reading Time: 2 minutes Pea leaf weevils are starting to spring up in pea and faba bean crops in southern Alberta, but the cool, damp start to spring could keep infestation levels low this summer. “The years when we have the highest risk are actually years with early, warm springs,” said Hector Carcamo, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food […] Read more
Twitter forum highlights pest issues for Alberta producers
Reading Time: < 1 minute Wheat midge and Bertha armyworm top the list of insects to be on the watch for this spring, says insect management specialists Scott Meers and Shelley Barkley. Dry conditions in the U.S. High Plains could also see a northward migration of pests, the duo said in their first #ABbugchat of the growing season. The two […] Read more
Twitter the newest weapon in the war against crop pests
An innovative farm tool uses Twitter to give producers breaking bug news and tips, as well as allowing them to ask questions and provide insect updates from their areas
Reading Time: 3 minutes Watch out for cabbage seed pod weevil if you farm south of the Trans-Canada, and producers in the western and southern-central parts of the province should be on the lookout because bertha army worms may be marching in your direction. Those were two of the take-aways from the first 2014 #ABbugchat — the Twitter hashtag […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
