Bonnyville's least favourite creepy crawlers are back and in bigger numbers.
Tent caterpillars have made their way back to the area, for what officials hope is the last time.
“They come in cycles,” Matt Janz, Director of agriculture and waste services with the MD of Bonnyville informed. “From what we know; cycles only last three or four years, usually by then there's enough disease within the caterpillars that they'll die off. We thought this year was going to be better than last year, but there have been reports in some areas that they're pretty bad.”
This year marks the last year of the cycle for the pests, but until then residents will just have to deal with the critters.
Because the caterpillars come in such large numbers, often laying eggs along the way, preventative measures are hard to come by, explained Janz.
“There's not much you can do to prevent the issue. Some people tape the bottom of their trees so when the caterpillars make their way up the trunk they'll be stopped, but there are so many it's going to be hard to contain them,” said Janz.
Fortunately there are options for getting rid of the caterpillars once they have invaded.
Assistant agrictultural fieldman Janice Boden outlined the best disposal methods in a press release.
“The first solution is a biological insecticide called BTK,” said Boden, noting this specific brand of insecticide will kill the caterpillars without getting rid of the insects you wouldn't want to kill, like bees or dragonflies.
The other option, Boden suggested, was to get up bright and early and sweep the caterpillars into a plastic bag.
“They're all clustered together and not eating or moving very much at that time of the day, it makes them much easier to contain,“ she explained.
Residents should also keep an eye out for an increase in the black fly population, as they are the caterpillar's natural predator.
Boden admits the caterpillars can give someone a serious case of the “heebie-jeebies,” but would like to remind residents they're completely harmless.
“They won't kill your trees,” said Boden. “They'll just eat the leaves, which will grow back again during the summer.“
Janz anticipates the pests to be gone within the next month. In the meantime, those dealing with large numbers of caterpillars will just have to wait it out and hope they don't come back next year.
