Beneficial bugs protect stored grain

Dec 12, 2022

Intentionally placing bugs in grain and food processing facilities to help manage pests is a tough idea to swallow in Canada, but the practice has been used in Central Europe since the mid-1990s.

Vincent Hervet, an entomologist with Ag Canada in Winnipeg, conducted a literature review on the use of biological controls in stored products including grain, processing facilities and warehouses. He said the practice is already commonplace for many vegetable growers.

“It’s widely used in horticulture, especially in greenhouses. Pretty much all the greenhouses out there use biological control,” he said.

Biological control is the use of living organisms to suppress pest populations and reduce the damage they cause.

“They have issues with aphids, thrips, scale insects and white flies and if they aren’t controlled, they get out of control in the greenhouse,” Hervet said. “So, they need the solution and a lot of people choose biological control solutions.”

Click here to see more...

Video: Canadian Wildfire Smoke Creates a Red Sunrise Over North Carolina Sunflower field - July 2026

A sunrise unlike any other.

This peaceful morning at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina was transformed by smoke drifting south from the Canadian wildfires. As the rising sun filtered through the haze, the sky glowed in deep shades of red and orange, casting a surreal light over the blooming sunflower field. While the colors were breathtaking, they also served as a reminder of how connected our environment is. Smoke from wildfires hundreds of miles away changed the appearance of a North Carolina sunrise, creating a rare and unforgettable moment in nature.

Take a few minutes to experience this quiet morning as the sun slowly rises through the smoky haze above one of Raleigh's most beloved summer landscapes.