Battle with forest tent caterpillars continues tonight

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This article was published 01/06/2015 (4008 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Weather permitting, the City of Winnipeg’s Insect Control Branch will continue its forest tent caterpillar control program this evening.

Sunday evening, the Insect Control Branch started treatment in Insect Management Area 49, in northern Winnipeg.

Starting at 9:30 p.m. today, the city said in a news release, crews will continue treatment in Insect Management Area 49 in the following neighbourhoods:

• Garden City,
• Leila /McPhillips Triangle,
• Margaret Park,
• Templeton/Sinclair.

Spraying will not occur if there is significant rainfall or winds are greater than 20 km/hr.

Treatment will be conducted utilizing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk), a biological, organic product which is sprayed from high pressure tree sprayers directly onto the foliage of the trees located in city parks and on city boulevards.

Once Btk is ingested by forest tent caterpillars, city officials said, they stop feeding and perish approximately two to 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.

All buffer zones will be respected. Crews will ensure that the sprayer is not treating within 30 metres on each side of a registered property on the front street, side street, and rear lane.

Residents can apply for a 30-metre buffer zone in order to exempt their property during a forest tent caterpillar treatment program. Those who wish to register must provide identification that ties the registrant to the address being registered for a buffer zone. A photocopy or scanned document like a driver’s licence, Manitoba Hydro, MTS or other utility bill will suffice as acceptable identification proving primary residence.

There are four different options to register:

• in writing to Insect Control Branch at 3 Grey Street, Winnipeg, MB R2L 1V2,
• emailing 311 at 311@winnipeg.ca
• faxing 311
• in person at 1539 Waverley St.

A 72-hour turnaround time is required for processing.

Winnipeggers who don’t want a buffer zone but want to know when spraying is taking place in their area may register for email notification regarding adult mosquito and/or tree pest caterpillar control programs online or by calling 311 and leaving their name, address and phone number. Once registered, residents will receive automated phone or email notification identifying the areas of the city in which the insect control crews are intending to work.

For more information contact 311, or visit the city’s forest tent caterpillar information online.