Check this map for your midge threat

The Canadian Wheat Board has a new mapping system that estimates the emergence of midge populations across Western Canada. (Click the link below to see the latest map.) Midge like warm weather and usually start to emerge after 670 growing degree days. They reach their peak for the year around 900 growing degree days. The map shows growing degree days across Western Canada, and uses a colour-coding system to show how that equates to midge emergence. Today the whole map is blue, which means no midge will have emerged anywhere.

You can use the map as a guide to know when to get out and scout. The map does not tell you how severe the outbreak will be. It just says when the population — however big it may be — is at 10 per cent emerged, 50 per cent emerged, etc.

The map is updated daily based on data from Prairie weather stations — including the CWB's on-farm WeatherBug network — and pest modelling information available from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Midge risk…

Mike Grenier, CWB agronomist, says large areas of the dark brown and black soil zones are at risk, based on fall soil sampling for cocoons. He reports in a CWB news release that areas at highest risk include north-central and eastern Saskatchewan, north-central Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary and western Manitoba. 

CWB midge map