Figure 1. Weekly WBC trap catches for Ontario. Peak flight occurred during the week of July 29th to August 4th.

Flight of the western bean cutworm

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for August 25

It is safe to say that western bean cutworm (WBC) is a pest that we can rely on entering corn and dry beans every year in Ontario. Though a frustrating pest to scout for, using traps to monitor moth flight has helped us better predict when to expect peak moth flight occurs, which is shortly […] Read more

Alfalfa looper larva. (CanolaCouncil.org)

U.S. to ban use of chlorpyrifos on food crops

Cancellation already scheduled for most outdoor use in Canada

UPDATED, Aug. 25 –– Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday said it will ban the use on food crops of chlorpyrifos insecticide, which has been linked to health problems in children. The decision is a victory for environmental activists who have fought to stop the use of the chemical that […] Read more

Figure 1 (left): Thrips are tiny and cigar shaped. Adults have fringed wings while the larva (above) are wingless. Figure 2 (right): Thrips feed on individual plant cells leaving scars along the leaf veins.

Much ado about crop pest insects

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for June 23

It is proving to be another good insect year with several early season pests keeping everyone busy scouting to stay ahead of. Going into July and August, there are a few more pests that we need to keep watch for. Thrips continue to be spotted in soybeans, corn and wheat fields. There are several different kinds […] Read more

Gypsy moths can defoliate trees if in large enough numbers.

Tree planting emerges from COVID into hot, dry spring

Additional threat of gypsy moth has foresters on edge as tree planting booms

Administrators of many tree-planting efforts across Ontario are striving in 2021 to make up for ground lost during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, they now face a perfect storm of dry weather and widespread gypsy moth infestations. Why it matters: Tree-planting for such purposes as windbreaks, shelterbelts and buffer strips […] Read more

Cutworms. (Photo courtesy Canola Council of Canada)

Prairie growers on lookout as insects seize opportunity

Dry conditions, delayed seeding lift pest counts

MarketsFarm — With most Prairie growers’ newly seeded crops already up against dry conditions, growers remain on the lookout for insects which further threaten the health of those seedlings. Considering the high prices of many crops this season, the potential damage would be more costly. John Gavloski, entomologist for Manitoba Agriculture, said there is a […] Read more


Black soldier fly is the most popular insect grown for protein in Europe.

Fitting insect production into current regulations a challenge

Canadian and EU companies call for fewer limits on feedstuffs

Insect-rearing innovators in Canada are ahead of the United States and the European Union when it comes to approvals for use in animal feed products. However, that hasn’t translated into a broad opening up of new markets. In all three jurisdictions, more work is needed to convince regulators and others in the livestock sector about […] Read more

Brown cricket insect crawling on the ground

Ontario insect farm gets investment

Entomo Farms, one of North America’s leading cricket producers, announced that it has closed a round of fundraising totalling $3.7 million to support growth and expansion. Founded in 2014 by brothers Jarrod, Darren, and Ryan Goldin, Entomo Farms produces cricket powders and whole roasted insects. The company has grown to 60,000 square feet of production […] Read more

(Innovafeed.com)

ADM, InnovaFeed to build world’s biggest insect protein plant in Illinois

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain trader and processor Archer Daniels Midland and French biotech company InnovaFeed announced plans on Thursday to build the world’s largest insect protein plant at Decatur, Illinois. The announcement comes amid rising global feed grain prices and tightening supplies, and as more companies work toward reducing the carbon footprint of […] Read more


Emerging corn plants in Ontario.

Neonic ban decision expected in six months

Health Canada said it now has further information to consider in making its decision

Glacier FarmMedia — Health Canada is expected to make a decision on neonicotinoid insecticides in about six months. Federal scientists have studied neonics and their potential impact on aquatic insects for years. The final judgment was scheduled for this autumn, but now won’t happen until the spring. “Due to the vast amount of new information […] Read more

A Monarch butterfly only lays its eggs on milkweed plants.

Milkweed key to building monarch butterfly numbers

Science Notes: Monarchs appear to successfully migrate, but there’s concern about declining numbers

A recently published analysis of data on tagged monarch butterflies migrating from the United States to Mexico emphasizes the importance of creating new habitat to ensure the future of the species’ iconic migratory pattern. The study, published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, drew on data collected on 1.4 million monarch butterflies […] Read more