What is it ? Kill it or leave alone????

15 years ago

I see these web every once in a while in the trees. Anybody have an idea what it is? I never see any movement or hatches from it. Maybe baby spiders nursery??? Help....

I am a mitephobe.

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Comments (12)

jroot
15 years ago
It looks like tentworm to me. They particularly like crabapples and other fruit trees. Cut off the limb and burn it immediately. DO NOT COMPOST.
karyn1
15 years ago
It looks an awful lot like a tent caterpillar nest that we get here in the early spring. It's probably the same thing jroot is describing. The caterpillars are cute with rows of soft hairs. We used to collect them when we were kids but they can defoliate a tree and you don't want them in your yard. That being said I'm not sure if yours are the same or not. You might want to contact a local nursery or university agriculture dept for a definitive ID.
Karyn
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chena
15 years ago
EEWWW!!!! I have no clue but it looks nasty!!!
Kylie
gottahosta
15 years ago
Looks creepy to me too! Our tentworms are not that neat, tho!

Karyn, you are crazy- tentworms are cute??????????????????? Ours are disgusting looking!
fool4flowers
15 years ago
Looks like tentworm or bagworm to me too. Open the web and spray with BT or just open it wide so birds and wasps can get in and eat the little ones before they damage your tree. They were so bad here the first year we had our house they were all over the cars trucks walls ground drop on your head from the trees it was gross. They will probably eat your brugs once they get moving around.
jeep461
Original Author
15 years ago
I found out what it is "Tree Cattle" LOL it is a beneficial.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tree Cattle
gottahosta
15 years ago
Good for you, Jim, for your persistence. I thought the web was too neat for tent catepillars!

So, these are the good guys!
fool4flowers
15 years ago
Glad it wasn't the other ones. I watch for them daily, lol. I was over run with them for a while and as scared as I am of wasps, I leave them alone and they take care of most of the webworms now as long as I open it up.
karyn1
15 years ago
Jim I'm glad you researched it and found out what they were. It would have been a shame to destroy beneficial insects. I've never heard of "tree cattle". Brenda the tent caterpilars are cute!
Karyn

Here is a link that might be useful: tent caterpillar pics
jeep461
Original Author
15 years ago
When I was a kid the Guardia Seville would come around with shot guns and shoot the nests out of the tree's. LOL My have things changed.
technodweeb
15 years ago
SHOT them out of trees?

Rotflmao Yep, my how things have changed. I wouldn't want to explain doing THAT now.

With my luck, there would be some "tent catapillar sensitivity group" or something. Treat them with respect.

Now, you have to do community hours working with people explaining what they are and their habitat. . .
daniellalell
15 years ago
Jim, glad you figured it out, how are they beneficial?

Nice to see ya Dweeby!!! Welcome back!! ((hugs)) We missed ya!

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What is it ? Kill it or leave alone????

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What is it ? Kill it or leave alone????

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