Aerial application of environmentally safe bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to provide cankerworm larvae control for the City of Bismarck will begin mid-May depending on weather conditions, according to Jackson Bird, City Forester.

Application will take place in the treed areas west of Washington Street to Avenue C; south to Burleigh Avenue, and north to Pioneer Park, primarily in the Missouri River bottom area. The insect in a larva stage feeds on the leaves of several tree species in the Bismarck area, including Elm, Box elder, Apple, and Canada Red Cherry. Bt is applied when field scouting indicates that cankerworm larvae are at the point at which the insect population must be reduced to avoid economic losses and widespread defoliation. ?Spring and fall cankerworm populations have increased over the last two years,? said Bird.

?The past several years Bismarck has experienced below normal moisture; this drought condition along with the defoliation caused by cankerworms can be indirectly responsible for tree decline and death by opening the trees to other disease, pest or environmental problems,? said Bird.

Bt is a naturally occurring bacterium that is important in natural control of pest populations and is considered ideal for pest management because of its specificity to certain pests and its lack of toxicity to humans or the natural enemies of many crop pests. Other than reducing cankerworms as a food source, Bt does not have a significant impact on parasitic or beneficial insects and is safe to people, pets, fish, birds, mammals and other insects, making caterpillars the only one susceptible to this form of pest control.

For more information call (701) 355-1733 | save this article / add to your favorites list