Web caterpillars

Just in the last couple of weeks I have seen these horrid webs in trees and wondered about them. Coincidentally I was browsing for something else on line and found the following answer to someone else's problem with this nuisance and thought it might be of interest to others with the same problem. The answer to the question was :-


Since your crabapples are young, they shouldn't be too tall, so, as a result, you have a few options. The first is to just gather up the tents, caterpillars and all, and toss the whole handful of yuck into a bucket of soapy water. For best results, do this late in the afternoon when all of the caterpillars return to the tent. If that is a little too messy for you, cut open the tents late in the afternoon and treat the residents inside to a shower of insecticidal soap. Finally, if you simply tear up the tents, you will make the caterpillars homeless, and easy prey for birds.

B.t. is a good spray also

B.t. Byron - sorry this English gal is not familiar with this product- can you give me more info. Thanks!

louisa: The southeast United States is plagued with these. Keep them AWAY from your property or you will truly be sorry.

I hate to tell you this, but I strongly recommend that when you see the web, you gotta remove the entire branch that the web is on, douse it with gasoline, and burn it. (Being very careful, of course).

Do this the instant you see the web - don't wait.

Dave

Dave - you got me scared now....lol. What threat do these pose?

Louisa, We too have these webs on occasion show up in our trees in our yard. My hubby usually takes his torch to them right away otherwise the caterpillars will eat all the leaves off of the trees they are on. Last year they attacked my beautiful wheeping cherry tree and were munching away at it, but hubby burned them off in time to save it. Burning them off of the tree is the fastest and easiest way to get rid of them. DW

Well Dave, Byron and diamondwife thank you all for this. I will indeed get rid of these creeps. But can't understand why they are allowed to take hold like this. I mean, who's responsibility is it to rid the countryside of this pest? I can understand that it is everyone's responsibility to destroy them in their immediate vicinity but what about the rest of the country! Is it as big a threat as the kudzu vine? Remember now, I am from across the pond living in VA and I'm still learning about the flora and fauna in my new country. I will definitely start researching the 'Gypsy Moth' caterpillars!!

If you don't want to cut the branch they're on, just spray the leaves from the tent out to the tips of the branches. Do this during the day, then that nite when the catapillars come out to eat, they die, then tear out the empty web.

I start inspecting for webs early spring. I'll spray , then, take it down, and hose it hard.That usually does it. I came across an item at a store I was considering buying. It's a paste~like substance you smear on water proof tape or paper that you've put around the base of the tree (before spring ) Any crawlies will stick to it.. and then you just change it. I have lots of woods in my backyard and now they're in spots too high for me to get to.. not sure what I can do. I wonder if a systemic poison would do any good...? There are some people that say they'll move on later without doing too much damage... and there's some that say they'll destroy what they're on. I don't want them around even for a short stay, though... =)