When agriculture staff from the County collected bertha army worm traps out in Erskine earlier this week, they made an alarming discovery of more than 250 moths per trap, a 400 per cent increase since the last collection.
“These total counts (bring) the County of Stettler to the alert stage for bertha army worm,” Jay Byer, assistant director of agricultural services said in a press release. “These moths are busy laying eggs now.”
The numbers mean that an outbreak of the worms, which will hatch from the eggs being laid now, could be exceptionally damaging.
If the eggs hatch and an outbreak occurs when canola is podding, the county said the crop would sustain significant damage.