REGINA — The City of Regina is taking action to remove Leafy Spurge with the help of bugs.
Leafy Spurge is a weed that crowds out any desirable plant species.
“We don't want them to establish in areas because they're very hard to get rid of,” said Veronica Schroder, co-ordinator, forestry, pest and horticulture at the City of Regina.
Schroder noted that Leafy Spurge has a very extensive root system that goes far down into the soil, causing removal difficulties.
The weed has been popping up in Regina more often over the past few years, as
Leafy Spurge thrives in an environment where the soil is disrupted.
This often occurs with dredging, the removal of a naturally recurring bottom sediment, like sand or clay.
While chemical herbicides can often remove weeds, the City of Regina doesn’t allow the application of the chemical in city areas.
So, the city instead collects Aphthona beetles to help control Leafy Spurge. A total of 13,000 Aphthona beetles were collected west of Moose Jaw and dispersed throughout the city.
“It likes to munch the weed down completely,” she said. “So it's one of those opportunities that we encourage because it's an organic means of controlling leafy spurge.
Schroder also said the Aphthon beatles won’t consume other plants, so it won’t destroy other plants in the process.
As for residents, Schroder said they’re permitted to use chemical herbicides or they can cut down the weeds.
She recommends not pulling it out, since it leaves a milky residue.
