Common Crop Pests

The Lygus bug is an insect native to Alberta. It has been a noted pest of alfalfa seed fields for some 40 years. Recently, Lygus bugs have begun to affect canola crops to the point that spraying is necessary to prevent excessive crop loss. The most serious damage in canola is when the pod is forming, near the end of the bloom period. Lygus bugs suck the juices out of the developing seed or abort buds and blossoms.

The Bertha armyworm damages canola by chewing on seed pods.

The Diamondback moth feeds on the surface of immature canola pods. Seeds do not fill properly and pods are more susceptible to shatter prior to harvest.

Grasshoppers primarily affect cereal crops. During extreme population outbreaks, they will consume all available plant materials.