WINNIPEG -- Starting Monday, the City of Winnipeg will begin spraying trees for elm bark beetle.
The beetle is known to carry a fungus which causes Dutch Elm Disease, a significant problem for Winnipeg's urban forest.
According to the city, the fungal infection results in the blockage of the tree's water-conducting tissue and ultimately kills susceptible elm trees.
Come Monday, the city will begin spraying in Insect Management Areas:
- 25 (Beaumont, Crescent Park, Maybank, Parker, Point Road, Wildwood)
- 31 (Crescentwood, North River Heights, Wellington Crescent)
- 33 (Lord Roberts, River-Osborne, Riverview)
- 47 (Inkster-Faraday, Luxton, St. John's, St. John's Park)
The city is providing weekly updates Fridays indicating which Insect Management Areas will be treated the following week.
Treatment will occur between the hours of 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, weather permitting.
To treat a tree, a chemical product is sprayed directly onto the lower 50 centimetres of the tree trunk. The city said the product has been approved for use in Canada by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency and will be used in accordance with federally approved label directions by licensed pesticide applicators.
More information on spraying and nuisance insects can be on the city's Insect Control website.
