Grasshopper levels across Manitoba continue to be monitored and there has been some management of hotspots, according to the latest insect pest report from Manitoba Agriculture.
Entomologist, John Gavloski advises producers to scout fields and field edges, particularly for the Two Striped Grasshopper in Central Manitoba and the Clear Winged Grasshopper in the Southwest.
"Depending on where you are in the province the grasshopper species you have may vary a little bit and the crops they feed on my differ a bit, but generally speaking there's some fairly high numbers in many areas," said Gavloski.
The latest pest report also indicates thistle caterpillar continues to be noticeable in some soybean fields. Green cloverworm is being noted in some pulse crop fields, but at low levels so far. Additionally, diamondback moth larvae have been noted at high levels in some canola fields in southeastern Manitoba.
"Grasshoppers do better under hot, dry conditions and especially if you get a few hot, dry years in a row it helps build their population up," said Gavloski when asked how the current climate impacts insect populations. "Thistle caterpillar, they migrate in. They have a purposeful migration just like the Monarch Butterfly so that's going to happen regardless of what the dry conditions are. The green cloverworm, it moves in from the south too. It's not so much a purposeful migration, more getting blown in by winds," he added.
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