Just last week you may have seen people walking on the southwest side of the city in orange vests. 

It was a group made up of City employees along with the Moose Jaw River Watershed Stewards, who were releasing a large amount of beetles that will help control leafy spurge in the community.

“We have been investigating options on how to control leafy spurge in Britannia Park this year,” explained Sarah Regent, Parks Gardener for the City of Moose Jaw in a statement released by the City. “While we continue to investigate options, the Moose Jaw River Watershed Authority generously offered the beetles to us for free. Saskatchewan studies have shown that the flea beetles can cause a noticeable reduction in leafy spurge after two years.”

The area in which they are hoping to control and released the helpful bugs was the Britannia Park subdivision of Moose Jaw, near 24th and 32nd Avenues. 

According to the City, the male beetles feed off the leaves and shoots, while the larvae go after the roots, therefore weakening the plant and making it harder for leafy spurge to spread.