Rice worms affecting some harvesters more than others

“Hopefully they will find a fix for that … in the next few years.”

Rice worms have been problematic for harvesters in the La Ronge region since about 2024. They moved into Saskatchewan from Manitoba and have since gained a stronghold in the province.

Towards the winter, the worms form cocoons near shorelines and then hatch as a moth during the spring. They then lay eggs in the florets of wild rice, where the eggs hatch and the larvae mature and then begin eating the seed. Once the seed is consumed, they spread throughout the wild rice crop.

A bag of rice covered in worms from Meeyomoot Lake. (Image Credit: Submitted photo/Larissa Muirhead)

“I think it is pretty close to last year. I don’t know if it is any worse. It is about the same,” Muirhead said.

Not all harvesters, however, are experiencing a concerning level of rice worms.

John Charles harvests on Potato Lake just south of La Ronge and he mentioned there isn’t a lot of worms where he is.

“It’s looking good – barely any worms. The cleanest wild rice this year,” he said.

John Charles has been harvesting wild rice for three decades. (Image Credit: Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

In 2024, the crop at Meeyomoot Lake was completely devastated while the crop at Potato Lake was heavily impacted as well.

Charles also began harvesting about a week ago, and he plans to continue until the end of the month. Both Charles and Muirhead have hired help who operate a harvester or bag rice throughout the day.

Every year, hundreds of people take to the land in late August or early September to attend to the wild rice harvest. It is an important economic driver for northerners who sell the rice to buyers, who in turn distribute it to companies in Europe, the United States and mostly China.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Cornet

Rice worms affecting some harvesters more than others

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