Winnipeg is covered with a canopy of trees. But in recent years, our green space has been dealing with a variety of challenges.
That includes dry conditions, disease, and destructive pests such as the emerald ash borer.
Now there's another invasive species munching its way through the city. Its official name is the cottony ash psyllid, but it's better known by its common name, jumping tree lice.
The bug feasts on young developing leaves, causing them to curl and die.
"The population of the pest has built up, and the trees are under stress," said city forrester Martha Barwinsky. "So we've seen a lot of decline in the black ash trees as a result"
First discovered in our province in 2017, the province says the cottony ash psyllid is difficult to control and very damaging to the trees they infect. The city says Riverview and River Heights neighborhoods have been hit particularly hard by the cottony ash psyllid. It plans on removing about 700 black ash trees in this area over the next several months.
