Our office has been getting a lot of calls lately on caterpillars. Most of these are forest tent caterpillars. These caterpillars attack a wide array of tree and shrub species, and are medically harmless even though they're fuzzy. Most trees can handle the loss of up to 20% of their foliage without harm, and many can re-leaf even after complete defoliation if there are no other stressors, so treatment for these caterpillars is rarely warranted.
You can protect some of the tree by treating with an insecticide from a hose end sprayer, such as Spinosad or a Bacillus thuringiensis for a lower off-target impact. Another option is spot treating the caterpillar aggregation with a spray bottle of insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, or any labelled pyrethroid insecticide. Targeted applications or use of lower impact insecticides will help preserve beneficial insect populations. If your populations are lighter, I would recommend leaving them for the birds and beneficial insects to feed on.
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| Forest Tent Caterpillars Photo: Kate Crumley |
Stay safe and wash your hands, everyone!
Sincerely,
Kate Crumley
For more information:
https://citybugs.tamu.edu/2015/04/10/tent-caterpillars-without-the-tent/
https://texasinsects.tamu.edu/eastern-tent-caterpillar/
https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/gardening/tent-caterpillars/
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