The County of Wetaskiwin will be selling Verbenone pouches through its' Agricultural Service Board. If you are interested in purchasing verbenone pouches at $10.00/pouch, the County will be accepting pre-paid orders until May 19, 2021. The distribution date will be June 14 for County residents and June 16 for non-residents. To pre-order your Verbenone pouches, please contact either Heather Dickau at 780-352-3321 or Stephen Majek at 780-361-6226.
Background:
The first mountain pine beetle infestation in the County of Wetaskiwin was discovered in the summer of 2018. County staff began scouting in 2019 and had 40 confirmed sites. In 2020, there were 5 additional sites identified however the attacks appeared to be from a previous year. Mike Undershultz, Forestry Officer for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry reported that there were very low reproduction numbers in the 2019/20 winter, therefore there was a small flight of beetles in 2020.
Alberta Ag and Forestry recommends that pine trees with over 40 pitch tubes be removed by chipping, peeling, or burning on site. Verbenone is a synthetic anti-aggregation pheromone that gives 
the beetles a “No Vacancy” message so they continue on their flight. These verbenone pouches are attached to the north side of the tree about 6 – 8’ from the ground and cover 12 - 15 square meters. The pouches should be hung around July 1st in order to be effective for the mid July flight. The County sold 500 pouches in 2019 and 1500 in 2020.
County of Wetaskiwin staff are available to help with identification of the mountain pine beetle so control measures can be put in place. Early detection and control by residents play an important role in managing Alberta’s mountain pine beetle infestation and preventing further spread. If you suspect a mountain pine beetle infestation on your property, please contact our Horticulturist, Heather Dickau.
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Image of Mountain Pine Beetle Pitch Tubes
