Eastern Tent Caterpillars – Spring Webs in Trees
Posted on March 7th, 2015 by John FoegleyWe’ve started seeing Eastern Tent Caterpillars this week. They form webs in the crotches of trees and shrubs in spring to early summer. If reachable and small in size, in the morning take the web and contents of squirmy worms down and step on them – (a simple method that avoids chemicals). If you prefer to spray them, the following process is a good one – courtesy of Penn State University.
We use Sevin to spray in our nursery apply registered formulations to the nests (we try and get the spray inside the nest when possible) and about one foot of the surrounding branches or trunk. Apply the spray before the nests are three inches in diameter. If possible, make applications early in the morning when the caterpillars are generally inside their nests. Follow all label directions for specific information on host plant label clearance, phytotoxicity information, safety precautions, and dosage information.
Think Spring!
John