Cankerworm outbreak looms in Winnipeg

Get ready for the cankerworms, Winnipeg.

Some parts of the citywill see plenty of the creepy-crawly leaf-eating critters this spring, said entomologist Taz Stuart.

"Based on the fall numbers and initial indications of what's been told to me by my crews, we are expecting to see certain areas of the city with a reasonable level of defoliation," he said.

Transcona, Garden City, North Kildonan, parts of River Heights and Tuxedo are all pegged to experience a larger infestation than other parts of the city.

Cankerworm moths come out of the ground during the first warm days of spring, then crawl up the trees to the twigs where they lay their eggs.

Those eggs will hatch as soon as the leaf buds open.

Spraying to start soon

A cool, wet spring last year meant the city didn't start spraying until the end of May.

This spring, however, has been warm and dry, which has speeded up the worms' march to the tree limbs.

The city will begin spraying civic property in the next few days with BTK, an organically certified product. It gives the worms a stomach ache that cuts into their appetites and causes them to die of starvation.

Crews will spray trees on boulevards and other city-owned property but will not spray private property.

Homeowners who don't want the chemical near their yards can apply for a 30-metre buffer zone by writing or faxing the city's Insect Control Branch.

Those homeowners who want to treat the trees in their yards can buy BTK at garden centres, said Stuart.

Mosquito numbers down

While the dry weather has helped the cankerworms, it has hindered those other summer pests, mosquitoes.

The lack of standing water has kept the number of mosquito larvae down, but that situation could change quickly with a big rain, Stuart said.

The forecast for the Winnipeg area calls for nothing but sun and above-normal temperatures for the foreseeable future. The normal daily high at this time of year is 12 C.

Temperatures ranging from 14 to 23 C are expected through the next week.