The Agricultural Pest Act provides authority for the Minister to declare as a pest or nuisance any animal, bird, insect, plant or disease which negatively impacts the environment and/or agricultural production.

Legislation enables inspectors and local authorities to deal with these Pests & Nuisance. The Municipal District of Provost is responsible for protecting the agricultural productivity of the municipality by controlling native and introduced pests.

Landowners are accountable for controlling pests on their properties.

Agricultural Pests Act and Regulation

The Agricultural Pest Act directs that declared Agricultural Pests must be controlled, while Agricultural Nuisance may be controlled.

Pest Control Officers

The local contacts for pest control are:

Myron Scherger

Pest Control Officer

If you think you have seen a rat, or any suspected rat sign, please contact one of them to come investigate and help out if any problems are found.

Crop Diseases & Pests

• Early detection of harmful crop pests allows producers an opportunity to utilize available control measures or plan rotations to manage outbreaks.
• Most disease pests may be prevented or limited by lengthening crop rotations – shortened rotations dramatically increase the risk of infection.
• The Agricultural Pest Act has listed a number of pests which must be controlled, and properties in the Municipal District of Provost will be inspected for these pests as well.

Crop Diseases:

Clubroot of Canola

Fusarium Headblight

Blackleg of Canola

Sclerotinia

Crop Pests:

Bertha Armyworms

Diamondback Moths

Grasshoppers

Lygus Bugs

Wheat Midge

Wheat Stem Sawfly

Swede Midge

Did you know?

Purchasing Blackleg resistant varieties does not mean the plant isn’t susceptible to the fungus. These varieties are very tolerant, not resistant, which means the plants can still get infected.

Cutting a Canola plant at the crown can help assess internal infection for Virulent Blackleg.

Pressure washing equipment with 1 – 2 % bleach solution can greatly reduce risk of spreading Clubroot. EcoClear or HyperOx can also be effectively used.


Tree Diseases & Pests

Tree Diseases:

Dutch Elm Disease

Fireblight

Tree Pests:

Black Knot of Plum and Cherry

Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid

Forest Tent Caterpillar

Yellow-Headed Spruce Sawfly


Vertebrate Pests and Nuisances:

Rats

Skunks

Magpies

Sparrows

Swallows

Bats

Beavers

Gophers

Mice

Raccoon

Coyotes

Richardson Ground Squirrels


Strychnine

The purchase of 2% Liquid Strychnine is available at both M.D. Shops located at 391036 RR25 Provost, Alberta and 45 McTavish St. Hughenden, Alberta. An ASB employee will be available on Tuesday mornings between April 3rd and June 2nd, 2020 at the Provost Shop. Please call one of the Ag Fieldman to arrange pickup at the Hughenden Shop. If purchases are required outside of these times, please contact to make arrangements.

• 1 bottle/kg grain/2.25lbs (approx. 1 ice cream pail) $10.50 per bottle/ GST Exempt
• 24/case – $252.00
4 bottles could do ½ of a 5 gallon pail of grain
6 bottles could do a 5 gallon pail depending on how heavy your grain is.

Pasture – Makes no difference
Wheat Stubble – Use Oats
Oat Stubble – Use Wheat