Tent Caterpillars are out in force! Every place you look, you'll see the web-like tents with hundreds of caterpillars inside. The larvae often eat all the leaves off the host trees but the damage is not permanent and does not usually kill the tree.
Management
- Prevention and early control is important. Removal and destruction of the egg masses from ornamentals and fruit trees during winter greatly reduces the problem next spring.
- In the early spring, small tents can be removed and destroyed by hand. Larger tents may be pruned out and destroyed or removed by winding the nest upon the end of a stick.
- Burning the tents out with a torch is not recommended since this can easily damage the tree.
- Young caterpillars can be killed by applying an insecticidal soap. Larvae within the tents are protected beneath the webbing and are more difficult to kill with this method.
- Hire a ground applicator
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