City of Regina Homepage
  • News
  • MyAccount
  • Contact Us
Transportation, Roads & Parking Home & Property Parks, Recreation & Culture Bylaws, Permits & Licences Business & Development City Government About Regina
Transportation, Roads & Parking
Find information on getting around Regina including transit services, parking, road construction, seasonal maintenance, walking and cycling.
  • Transit
  • Road Report
  • Driving
  • Seasonal Maintenance
  • Parking
  • Walking & Cycling
  • Transportation Master Plan
  • Household Travel Survey
You Might Be Looking For
  • Street Sweeping
  • Road Construction
  • Storm Drains
Did You Know?

You can pay your parking ticket online.

  • Parking Ticket Payment
Home & Property
Learn about water, property taxes, garbage & recycling collection, yard care, emergency services, and more.
  • Garbage, Recycling & Composting
  • Residential Property Tax & Assessment
  • Water
  • Safety & Emergencies
  • Housing
  • Tree & Yard
  • Heritage Properties & Conservation
You Might Be Looking For
  • Good Neighbour Guide
  • Landfill
  • Building Permits
Did You Know?

You can find your property's assessment and tax information online.

  • Property Search
Parks, Recreation & Culture
Find information about parks, recreation facilities and programs, city events, cemeteries, art, culture and more.
  • Classes & Programs
  • Recreation Facilities
  • Community & Neighbourhood Centres
  • Parks
  • Arts & Culture
  • Events
  • Cemeteries
You Might Be Looking For
  • Leisure Guide
  • Outdoor Pools & Spray Pads
  • Dog Parks
Did You Know?

Register for recreation classes, book indoor courts and view your family's schedule with your Regina Recreation account.

  • Visit Regina Recreation Online
Bylaws, Permits & Licences
Find information on bylaws, applying for permits, licensing pets, businesses or taxis, and more.
  • Building & Demolition
  • Bylaws
  • Permits
  • Licences
You Might Be Looking For
  • Building Permits
  • Zoning Bylaw
  • Cat & Dog Licences
Stay informed!

Get updates on building permits, commercial requirements and more.

  • Sign up today
Business & Development
Find business information related to City planning and development, commercial property tax, real estate, City materials for sale and more.
  • Commercial Property Tax & Assessment
  • Land & Property Development
  • Tenders & Procurement
  • City Property for Sale & Lease
  • Items for Sale
  • Service Partners
  • Sponsorship, Naming Rights & Advertising
You Might Be Looking For
  • Renewable Regina
  • Proposed Development
  • Business Licences
Did You Know?

You can access your property and water/utility account information online.

  • Sign up through MyAccount
City Government
Learn more about municipal government, including the Mayor and Council, wards, committees, budget and more.
  • Office of the Mayor
  • City Council
  • City Administration
  • Budget & Finance
  • Historical Election Results
  • Open Data
  • Council Policies
  • City Page
You Might Be Looking For
  • Budget Highlights
  • Council Meetings
  • Wards
Did You Know?

You can participate in the decision-making process.

  • Appear before Council
About Regina
Find out why Regina is a great place to live, work and visit.
  • Gear Store & Merchandise
  • Regina History & Facts
  • Official Community Plan
  • Maps & Neighbourhood Profiles
  • Renewable Regina
  • Moving to Regina
  • Job Opportunities
  • Community Safety & Well-being
  • Community & Social Impact Regina
  • Grants & Scholarships
  • Winter City Strategy
  • Be Heard Regina
  • Accessibility & Affordability
  • Reminders & Notifications
  • Contact Us
You Might Be Looking For
  • Work for the City
  • Sponsorship & Advertising
  • Events
Did You Know?

You can submit a service request online.

  • Contact Us
  1. Home
  2. Home & Property
  3. Tree & Yard
  4. Pests & Wildlife

Cankerworms & Tent Caterpillars

Cankerworms and tent caterpillars are common insect pests in Regina that can cause considerable damage to trees.

Every year cankerworms cause extensive damage to trees in Regina. They feed on most broad-leaved trees and shrubs, but prefer American and Siberian Elm, Manitoba Maple and fruit trees. The first signs of infestation are the appearance of small ‘shot holes’ in new leaves and larvae can be found under the leaves. During severe outbreaks, trees and shrubs may be completely defoliated. Healthy trees will usually produce a new crop of leaves by mid-July. After three or more consecutive years of heave attack, tree growth is slowed and branches in the crown may die back.

Cankerworm larvae are light green to brownish-green, often with a darker stripe down the back. They are sometimes called inch worms or loopers. Cankerworms spin ‘silken threads’ that allow them to drop from foliage to escape predators. The ‘silk thread’ also allows cankerworms to be blown by the wind to other trees.

Cankerworms drop to the ground and burrow into the soil when fully grown. Moths of the fall cankerworm emerge from their cocoons in mid-September and October. Spring cankerworms remain burrowed throughout the summer, fall and winter and emerge as moths from the end of March to mid-May. After the moths emerge they crawl up the trees to lay their egg masses in the crown of the tree. The eggs of both the fall and the spring cankerworm hatch in spring.

Cankerworms & Tent Caterpillar Control Program

There are three main components to the City's cankerworm control program.

Step 1 - Monitoring

More than 400 traps are placed on various trees throughout the city to monitor the populations of adult male and female cankerworm moths in each area. Cankerworm counts are done on the bands during the spring and fall emergence periods to determine which areas have the highest level of cankerworm concentration for a particular year and require spaying to control these populations. 

Step 2 - Spraying

City crews spray City-owned trees in areas with high concentrations of cankerworms. Areas identified as having higher population levels are sprayed first and as time allows we move to the next level of infestation, in decreasing order of trapped adult concentrations. Spraying is done from mid-May to mid-June when the worms are hatching and feeding on trees. A commercial product containing BTK is used. BTK affects only worms and is non-toxic to other insects, birds, animals and humans. The worms eat the product, stop feeding in 2-3 hours and die in a few days.

The City does not go out to an individual house to spray the trees or spray private trees. Those that have sensitivities can call the Pesticide Advisory Line for information on where and when the City is spraying. Residents are asked to move their cars off the streets while their areas are being sprayed. 

Step 3 - Public Awareness

Residents are encouraged to band private and City trees during the spring and fall emergence periods. Tree banding can reduce or manage populations and reduce the need for spraying. Banding trees controls cankerworm populations by trapping wingless female cankerworms as they crawl up the tree to lay their eggs. You should band your trees from late March to mid-May and again from early September to mid-November to catch the cankerworms moths at both the times they are emerging from the soil. It is important to band all trees in an area or else cankerworm larvae could move from unbanded trees to banded trees. Please do not leave bands up longer than recommended as it can do more harm than good to the tree.

People Also Visited

  • Tree Banding

Also in this Section

  • Pests & Wildlife
    • Cankerworms & Tent Caterpillars
    • Dutch Elm Disease
    • Emerald Ash Borer
    • Foxtail
    • Gophers
    • Ladybugs
    • Mosquitoes
  • Trees
    • Tree Removal Form
  • Yard Care
    • Boulevard Landscapes Agreement
Building or Renovating? Apply for permits online.
2025 Henry Baker Scholarships
Spring Sweep is on now!
Summer Leisure Guide 2025
Move to Top
Explore the City
  • Transportation, Roads & Parking
    • Transit
    • Road Report
    • Driving
    • Seasonal Maintenance
    • Parking
    • Walking & Cycling
    • Transportation Master Plan
    • Household Travel Survey
  • Home & Property
    • Garbage, Recycling & Composting
    • Residential Property Tax & Assessment
    • Water
    • Safety & Emergencies
    • Housing
    • Tree & Yard
    • Heritage Properties & Conservation
  • Parks, Recreation & Culture
    • Classes & Programs
    • Recreation Facilities
    • Community & Neighbourhood Centres
    • Parks
    • Arts & Culture
    • Events
    • Cemeteries
  • Bylaws, Permits & Licences
    • Building & Demolition
    • Bylaws
    • Permits
    • Licences
  • Business & Development
    • Commercial Property Tax & Assessment
    • Land & Property Development
    • Tenders & Procurement
    • City Property for Sale & Lease
    • Items for Sale
    • Service Partners
    • Sponsorship, Naming Rights & Advertising
  • City Government
    • Office of the Mayor
    • City Council
    • City Administration
    • Budget & Finance
    • Historical Election Results
    • Open Data
    • Council Policies
    • City Page
  • About Regina
    • Gear Store & Merchandise
    • Regina History & Facts
    • Official Community Plan
    • Maps & Neighbourhood Profiles
    • Renewable Regina
    • Moving to Regina
    • Job Opportunities
    • Community Safety & Well-being
    • Community & Social Impact Regina
    • Grants & Scholarships
    • Winter City Strategy
    • Be Heard Regina
    • Accessibility & Affordability
    • Reminders & Notifications
    • Contact Us
© 2025 City of Regina
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
What can the City help you with today?

Most Searched

  • Careers
  • Leisure Guide
  • Athletic Fields Status
  • Street Sweeping
  • Property Taxes
  • Parking

Most Popular

  • Transit Schedules
  • Leisure Guide
  • Water & eWater
  • Garbage & Recycling
  • Parking Tickets
  • Jobs at the City
Warning.
You are about to leave Regina.ca to visit an external website. The views expressed do not represent the City of Regina.

Continue