Tent caterpillars

5 years ago

I found this on one branch of my persimmon tree. Is this tent caterpillars?

I cut off the branch as soon as I saw it. Is there anything else I should do for the tree, other than keep an eye out for more of these?

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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

5 years ago

Ken - can't birds just get at them through the web?

==>> well.. on that logic.. why didnt you just stick your hand in and grab the gooey chuckers ,... NOT!!!!! ... lol

i have these things around the 5 acres ... i ignore them ...

but my point above was .... there really is no need to cut up the plant ... no matter what it looks like now ... i rather have a bigger plant next year ...

most bug plagues .. come and go ... over the years ... and usually there is little or no need to react ... unless its one of those peak years ... and even then ... no need to get carried away ...

its akin to my usual comment of .... try not to love them to death ... along the lines of amputating your arm.. for a boo boo on your finger ...

ken

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Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
Fall webworms rather than tent caterpillars........similar but not the same :-) The webworms tend to have a broader and more voracious appetite than do their spring appearing cousins. But control is the same - removal of the webbed 'tents' as appropriate and/or spraying with Bt.

Because the webworms appear so late in the season, they often get ignored or disregarded, as the trees are getting ready to drop their leaves soon anyway but the pupa can overwinter in cracks and crevices of the branches and bark or on ground litter only to hatch and reinfest the tree next season. Therefore, removal or control is suggested wherever possible.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
what she said ....

but if you had a babe of a tree .. and you were thinking about cutting off a large part of the canopy.. i might try to figure out an alternative .... i would GUESS ... you could have disturbed the tenting ... and hen sprayed after leaf loss .... my point being .... simply.. there are usually options other than severe pruning ....

in the converse ... what can you do about it all on huge trees ... and there is usually no long term issue ....

ken
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MSU: " There are several natural enemies of the tent caterpillar. A parasitic fly attacks full grown caterpillars. This fly looks like a housefly, but is twice as large, has a light gray thorax with three black stripes. The fly maggot consume the caterpillar internally and kill it as a pup (cocoon). That tent caterpillar may have eaten your tree leaves, but it won't leave young to do it next year. Ground beetles and predaceous wasps also eat tent caterpillars, as do various birds, most notably Northern orioles. The birds' hanging sack-like nests mean you won't have to worry about tent caterpillars; orioles have been known to eat entire infestations. Acephate, carbaryl, malathion, and B.t. are the recommended insecticides.Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) is the most environmentally sound solution. If you own an orchard, try to clear out nearby wild cherry trees, if possible. If your trees have been defoliated, water and fertilize them. One inch of water, applied once per week is recommended. " http://www.msue.msu.edu/objects/content_revision/download.cfm/revision_id.499710/workspace_id.-4/01500620.html/
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I had never had them on the roses till that year either Zyperiris. And until I saw them, I would not have believed it. They were crawling across the 2 lane roads, and up the sides of houses. Some guy was in a wreck because he was coming around a curve, and slid in them. I kept saying my roses looked like to bowels of hell out there. Just keep watching! I will report if I see them. I think when I finally sprayed the Malathion on them, that I should have sprayed the lawn too, as I saw them crawling in the grass too. Keep your fingers crossed that they bypass us this time.
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White caterpillars would not be the Eastern Tentworm Caterpillar and it is too early for their cousins the Fall Webworm which is not white either. I'm not familiar with a white caterpillar that spins a web, yet. As a rule none of the webworms really do much harm to the trees and shrubs they inhabit, but the webs are unsightly, and if a tree is defoliated (not usual) over a number of years they can weaken that tree. If control is desired spraying the leaves with Bacuillus thuringiensis - Kurstaki is the prefered method, you can cut the section of branch these buggers are on off the shrub which may disfigure it. Never, ever burn the web out since that can cause more damage to the shrub then the caterpillars would. Any leaves they do eat will grow back in later. Here is a link that might be useful: About Eastern Tentworm Caterpillars
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What happens when a pruning cut is made at the tip of a branch? (This is for Kimmsr) Dormant buds behind the cut are triggered to activity by the redirection of hormones that exist in those tips. In a matter of a few days, new foliage may grow to replace any that were lost. That is why pruning is a growth generating activity. We prune to shape a plant, to remove dead, diseased, dieing, or infested parts. We also prune to redirect growth and to stimulate growth. Excessive pruning can cause a flush of growth that hasn't had time to harden off in preparation of winter. However, snipping of branch tips here and there over the plant body is not harmful. Rather, it is much better for the tree, in terms of physiological response to damage, to have a bit of pruning done as opposed to the feeding of hundreds of caterpillars.
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Saypoint zone 6 CT
5 years ago
This video shows how to break up the webs and expose the caterpillars to birds and other predators. Only works where you can reach them.

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
5 years ago
Another way to ID the fall webworm is by the nest's location at the ends of the branches rather than in the crotches. Not that it matters, just interesting tidbit of info.
kitasei
5 years ago
Ken - can't birds just get at them through the web? The tents make them so obvious that I'd think they're sitting ducks for predators. I have them at the tops of my dogwood trees but can't think how to reach them. Should I even bother?
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
5 years ago
kitasei, the point is.....don't worry about it! It's temporary, especially at this time of year. These caterpillars will die with the first frost, though the tree may drop its leaves before then.

The webbing is their protection and an effective one. It's sticky, messy, and clingy, something that birds and other predators will strictly avoid. Yes, the nests are obvious and that's why birds avoid them.

Tent caterpillars

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Comments (7)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

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