Tent Caterpillars

Tent Caterpillars – you can see what the egg masses look like.

These egg masses can be found mainly on crabapples, cherries and plums and at this time of year easily picked off, collected and burned or discarded in a plastic enclosed bag. Do not drop on the ground because they will just hatch and find a nearby tree to climb up.

Okay, so now you discovered eggs have hatched that you did not see in your trees. Up in the tree you see cotton-like web. This happens around the time when the leaves are half out. Do not light with a match you stupid (never mind) because that will harm your tree. At this stage wear a pair of gloves (or if you are really manly, no gloves) and pull out the cottony area early in the morning when the caterpillars are small and in the nest and SQUASH. Get over it if you think that it is gross - it is what I call BIOLOGICALLY SAFE CONTROL! Or spray it with Sevin - still manly!

Due to a heavy freeze around 2013-2014, there are much less problems with tent caterpillars (not to be confused with gypsy moth – whole other problem).

The key to it is to pray to your God for a freeze around Memorial Day. Or Joe Snedeker who really has no pull but will try hard, and he will put a brown bag on his head if he doesn’t handle it. Weather is not an exact science (quote). So get off your butt and check this out. Your plants are the most important things in your life, well other than your kids, wife, husband, animals. Relatives (alright, most of your relatives).