The City of Regina is urging residents to take proactive measures against an infestation of cankerworms.
Forestry, Pest Control and Horticulture Manager Russell Eirich said residents should be concerned as they are expecting the cankerworm population to rise this year.
Cankerworms are defoliating insects that can harm leaves and cause premature deaths in trees.
“All of a sudden, one day you’ll notice your tree has leaves, and the next couple of days there are no leaves,” Eirich said.
“It’s actually cyclical in nature. Every seven or 10 years, we’ll see extreme peaks or extreme lows… we’re now on that upward swing again.”
Last year, the city sprayed approximately 2,000 trees for cankerworms.
This year, they’re expecting to treat around 10,000 trees.
Residents are being asked to wrap their elm, Manitoba maple or fruit trees in advance of the upcoming influx of the worms.
The bands can help prevent cankerworms from laying their eggs in the trees.
“We’re asking people right now to band their trees because by doing that, we’re going to be interfering with their productive cycles and hopefully control them that way,” Eirich said.
Eirich said it’s an inexpensive but effective way to control the worm population in the city. The problem is at its worse between mid-May and June.
A step-by-step guide on how to band your trees is posted on the City of Regina website.
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