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July 29, 2011
(Red Deer, Alberta) – The Parks section is encouraging Red Deerians to protect their trees, as Yellow headed Spruce Sawfly populations increase in our area.
The Yellow headed Spruce Sawfly attacks Engelmann, white, black and blue spruce. This pest feeds on the foliage of the tree and may ultimately kill the tree. Yellow headed Spruce Sawflys are active in early to mid-summer and can also be controlled during this time.
Larvae are tiny caterpillars to begin with, often only several millimeters long. They can grow to be 16-20 mm long with yellowish-brown heads and shiny olive green bodies with paired greyish-green lines on the length of the body
Management of the Yellow headed Spruce Sawfly will help to control its spread. Residents can help control this pest population by using control procedures, including:
- Hand picking larvae off trees and disposing of them in sealed garbage bags.
- Pruning the tips of branches where the larvae live, and disposing of them in sealed garbage bags.
- High pressure water spraying the impacted tree. Small larvae cannot crawl back onto the tree if blasted from it with a high-pressure hose.
- Spraying the infected tree with insecticidal soap from your local garden centre. Follow directions on the label for mixing instructions.
For more information on pest management in Red Deer, please visit www.reddeer.ca/parks or phone the Parks section at 403-342-8234.
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For more information, please contact:
Elaine Johnson
The City of Red Deer
403-342-8344
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