It is recommended growers better understand the pest and scout appropriately.

Fall armyworm poses risk for Ontario growers

Warmer fall allows for longer grazing season for the pest in fall crops

Parts of southwestern Ontario have higher than normal levels of fall armyworm.  Traps placed south of London, particularly within Essex County, have seen multitudes of moths this fall. “Similar to last year, we are seeing – when I say ‘we’, Ontario, the Great Lakes area, Ohio, New York, Quebec even – reasonably high levels of […] Read more

Spider mites have reached concerning levels in drier areas of the province and are showing resistance to chemical controls.

Concerns grow over control-resistant pests

Corn rootworm and spider mites top list of concerns in summer 2022

Two significant insect pest problems have occurred this year, both stemming in part from building resistance to controls. Corn rootworm tops the list, according to Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).  Why it matters: Grain growers have limited tools to address spider mites and corn […] Read more

The RNAi trait in SmartStax Pro prevents production of a protein and without it, corn rootworm larvae can’t survive.

Advanced corn hybrid with an RNAi trait to launch in Canada in 2023

SmartStax Pro builds on existing SmartStax trait

Glacier FarmMedia – Resistance to corn rootworm is becoming a bigger concern as populations continue to develop resistance to existing Bt Cry proteins. Three of the four proteins targeting corn rootworm are related to known cross-resistance, so a population that becomes resistant to one protein will exhibit resistance to the others.  The resulting recommendation to […] Read more

Black soldier fly larvae in substrate. Production of one kilogram of larvae requires only one to two kg of feed.

Europe’s insect industry enters large-scale production

Sustainable insect farming to play a key role in the future of food and farming

Insects as a food source is not new in many parts of the world, but only in the last decade or so have they gained significant interest in Western countries. Europe is home to many of the world’s leading insect producers, and after about 10 years of research and development, its budding insect industry is […] Read more

A bean leaf beetle is easy to identify by the black triangle on its back.

Keep a watchful eye for these soybean pests

If presented with the right conditions, soybean insects can cause significant plant damage

Bean leaf beetle, spider mites and aphids are the soybean pests that growers should be watching for this season, say agronomists.  Why it matters: Soybean insects are sometimes overlooked during the season and if not quickly identified they can cause serious damage. Bean leaf beetle Bean leaf beetles are among the more common soybeans pests […] Read more


Flea beetles in canola seedlings. (Canola Council of Canada video screengrab via YouTube)

Flea beetles an issue in parts of Saskatchewan

MarketsFarm — Delays to spring seeding in some regions of Saskatchewan, such as the northeast, have opened the door for infestations of flea beetles, according to provincial pest management specialist James Tansey. Canola crops that were planted later than normal are suffering from flea beetles, he said. Extremely late-seeded canola has been relatively free from […] Read more

Mature corn is where most of the damage shows up from European corn borer.

National group launches standardized corn borer scouting protocol

Goal is to address lack of knowledge about ECB in non-corn hosts

A nationwide entomologist working group is promoting a new online scouting tool for farmers, crop advisors and researchers with the aim to broaden knowledge about European corn borer (ECB) damage in new and emerging crops like quinoa and hemp,  “The recent confirmation of ECB resistance to Cry1F Bt corn in Nova Scotia has increased the […] Read more

Flea beetles in canola seedlings. (Canola Council of Canada video screengrab via YouTube)

Eastern Prairies’ wet conditions may curb insect pest risk

Late-seeded crops may germinate more quickly in warmer soils

MarketsFarm — If there could be one benefit to the excessive moisture across much of southern Manitoba and the Interlake region, that would be a potentially reduced risk for insect pests, according to John Gavloski, entomologist for Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Resource Development. For example, Gavloski cited flea beetles, which could damage canola. “If [canola] […] Read more


A trap showing two Western corn rootworm beetles. If the traps averaged two beetles per day, this meets the threshold for developing Bt resistance if Bt hybrids are in the field.

Corn Rootworm trapping study will encourage crop rotation

Results show corn rootworm pressure highest in counties with corn on corn rotations

Corn fields in two southwest counties and one in the east are at the highest risk in Ontario of hosting Bt-resistant corn rootworm (CRW), according to results from a first-year, grower-led beetle trapping project funded in part by Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO). Tracey Baute, entomologist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural […] Read more

There’s a careful and exhaustive process followed before biocontrol insects are brought to Canada, says researcher Rose De Clerck-Floate, seen here releasing stem-galling weevils.

There’s foreign workers in the bug world, too — and they attack weeds

Bringing in weed-attacking pests is a laborious process but it’s often the only option for pastures

Glacier FarmMedia – There are many ways to control weeds. Rose De Clerck-Floate’s favourite is to reunite them with their long-time enemies from the old country. “All of the weeds here can come from other parts of the world, mostly Europe and some from Asia, and establish here without the organisms that keep them in […] Read more