Aphids causing problems in Regina following ladybug shortage
Some Regina residents might have noticed sap on their cars, but it’s not coming from trees; a small insect, known an aphid, is to blame.
Aphids are small sap sucking bugs found around the world. Perhaps for humans, they are most recognizable from the honeydew they leave behind. The substance, similar to a syrup, often leads to sticky cars and sidewalks.
“Think of it comparatively to a mosquito,” said Russell Erich, manager of open space services for the City of Regina.
“Aphids are like a mosquito to a tree, They have a sucking mouth part, they like to suck the juices out of the leaves, and then they exert a honeydew, which makes the trees really sticky.”
Aphids are generally a simple inconvenience for people, but they can have a big impact on trees and plants.
“The aphids will stress the plants and if a plant gets stressed then it is susceptible to disease and you can get mortality from it as well,” said Eirich.
Normally, the city and Cherry Lane Greenhouse bring in ladybugs to fight the insects. However, this year ladybugs have not been brought into Regina.
“There’s been a shortage for the ladybugs,” said Colleen McGillivray, owner of Cherry Lane Greenhouse. “We were told that it’s the fires out of California if you order them in. But sometimes you just have to get into the leaves and you can find them in Saskatchewan, too. They love aphids.”
Instead, soap and water can be used to treat them.
“You don’t want a whole bunch of soap, you just want a little bit,” said McGillivray. “But just a couple days of washing it off and you’ve got them in control”
In Regina, aphids are primarily seen on elm trees. Eirich said the city receives roughly 60 calls a week about the bugs.
“We take a look at the trees, and if we see an aphid problem on those trees from that call, we will spray those trees,” said Eirich.
On top of leaving a sticky mess on your car, the honeydew will also attract ants and wasps. Aphids can be seen on trees where there are sticky leaves, or if the leaves start to curl up.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.