WINNIPEG — A forest tent caterpillar infestation has taken over Winnipeg. In the trees, on the sidewalks, sides of homes and perhaps even squished under your shoe.
The furry, innocent looking creepy crawlers are making their way to neighbourhoods around the city.
READ MORE: Forest tent caterpillar treatment to continue in Winnipeg Monday night
Taz Stuart with Poulins Pest Control said this year or next could be prime for the caterpillars, as there a more now than ever. And they are not just taking over Winnipeg, but a lot of Canada as a whole.
READ MORE: Forest tent caterpillars setting up camp in Winnipeg
Stuart said when it comes to remedies, you need to watch out with the home ones. You could kill the caterpillar problem but also create a whole new one, said.
You can spray also spray them with water, but Stuart says it’s not the most effective way to get rid of them.
“The thing is if you don’t get a big strong stream and kill them with the water, you’re just going to push them off and they’ll crawl back up on the tree anyways. It’s kind of a waste of time in my opinion,” he said.
Products with ‘caterpillar’ written on the bottle are the more trusted methods, he said.
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“Taking a broom, sweeping them off. Aerosols with permethrin in them kills them instantly of if you want to go a little more harsher with chemicals, you can go with a contact insecticide like malathion and spray them and kill them that way.”
A heads up from Stuart, with the excess of forest tent caterpillars, comes an excess of moths by July. “Trillions to be more precise,” he said.
The city has been spraying for the caterpillars and have more information on getting rid of them here.
With files from 680 CJOB
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