'Jumping tree lice' invading Moose Jaw

An invasive pest has made its way to Moose Jaw.

The cottony ash psyllid also known as jumping tree lice preys on Manchurian and black ash. According to the city, the majority of the trees in the downtown area are Manchurianash.

The bug has vampire-like tendencies, as it sucks the juice out of trees to survive. Symptoms of an infested tree include curled leaves, a sticky, cotton-like substance under the tree and less leaves on the inside branches. The city said it is usefulfor homeowners to water trees during hot weather.

The bug is small, around 3 mm in length, and the adults are lime green.

The city is working to minimize the impact of these bugs by spraying trees with insecticidal soap.