Dry spring conditions mean fewer bugs in Saskatoon

While producers could use some rain, people who hate mosquitos and tent caterpillars have dry conditions to thank for smaller populations of the insects.

Jeff Boone, an entomologist with the City of Saskatoon, told 650 CKOM there isn’t the normal amount of standing water.

“There is a lot less habitat than we’ve had in the past,” Boone said. “I mean, two dry years in a row leads to a lot less standing water.”

Another seasonal pest isn’t making as much of an impact this spring, tent caterpillars.

“We’d be more or less at the peak this time of year when compared to previous years and we’re just not seeing the same volume of caterpillars,” he said.

It does give city crews a chance to catch up on clean-up from an outbreak of the cottony ash psyllid that started in 2015.

Boone said the outbreak left significant destruction to the urban forest.

Affected black and mancana ash trees now have a blue dot spray painted on them to mark them for removal.

In 2019 just under 2,000 city-owned ash trees are scheduled for removal.

Boone said the city continues to watch for the emerald ash borer. The invasive insect has not arrived in Saskatchewan but is in Manitoba.