Tent Caterpillars on the Prowl

All areas of the state should be in some stage of tent caterpillar activity. They have been active in eastern counties for several weeks. In the Piedmont they seem to be in the crawling/dispersing phase. Personal observation is that there are many fewer webs this spring than in years past. These hairy caterpillars can make a cherry or crabapple tree look a little ugly, but most trees seem to recover and re-foliate. Unless trees are taller than 15 feet or you have dozens to deal with, a long stick or pole can be used to destroy the web masses quite effectively. Resist the temptation to burn them! See Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 61 (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note61/note61.html) for more information.

From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist