I have some of these "tents" in a couple of trees and they are very high up in the tree, too high to reach with a rake or a pole. In doing research, it seems that even though the caterpillars may eat up the early leaves the tree will put out new leaves later...not to be too concerned if it is a healthy tree. My trees are just now leafing out.
Well, I just don't like them up there. What have you all done in the past? Have you just left them alone, or tried to spray or knock them down....?
eastern tentworm caterpillar
Equilibrium
Apr 03, 2008
I wouldn't spray chemicals around.
Here's a thread where I had my first experience with the Eastern Ten Caterpillar-
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/513713/
That being said, Bt works. It works very well.
Bt? what do you mean?
Equilibrium
Apr 03, 2008
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
To get real specific, you'd actually want to buy Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk)or Bacillus thuringiensis var. aizawai (Bta)
Watch your timing. Spray at night when they are all back on the tree. This product is target specific and will not harm beneficials.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2022.html
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/fea207.html
I bought mine locally but here's an online link for you-
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/order.html?id=7m22Jpz5:99.131.131.185
They have almost stripped the tree already. I think it's too late.
Equilibrium
Apr 04, 2008
Me personally, I'd treat it before they migrate to another food source.
I think you have to put the Bt on the leaves, of which there aren't many anymore!....
I may have to resort to other methods.
Equilibrium
Apr 04, 2008
No, you spray the entire tree. Whatever is left of it.
I'm thinking you may not have scrolled down far enough at the link I shared to the prior DG thread of the plant I treated with Bt. There wasn't one leaf left on it that I could see. That plant bounced back.
Equilibrium
Apr 04, 2008
I'm really sorry JulieQ. I just clicked on your user name and realized you weren't a subscriber and wouldn't have been able to get access to the thread I posted a link to. If you would like to click on my user name and send me a d-mail with your personal e-mail address, I would be more than happy to cut and paste the entire thread which includes photos and send it off to you via e-mail. You will be impressed with the results. To even my amazement, the plant lived and I was able to destroy the caterpillars before they migrated to a new plant. If you've still got leaves left, that's a lot more than what I had to work with.
Please be very pro-active with this pest. They ate my roses down to nothing in a day. The roses came back, only to be attacked by the Japanese Beetles. This year I will be armed and ready! Pam
Well, let me tell you what fun my son and I had today. I had remembered how much fun I had a few years ago when my late husband and kids all went into the woods with the 410 and shot mistletoe out of the trees for Christmas decorations.... sounds pretty redneck, but it was a fun and funny memory.
Now today, my son shot holes in the tentworm tents that we couldn't reach! lol It was funny because I didn't know if there would be caterpillars flying around us, so we just covered our heads.... No flying worms, but he did blast enough holes in the tents that we were able to spray the long-stream wasp killer into some of them that were left.
I know it is super low-tech. .. and I know I didn't get them all, but I wasn't able to find any Bt, and it seemed like the only "pro-active" thing at the time....lol...
Son is off to his track meet, and I just had to share this funny story.
Great story, Julie. Next time, you'll have to photodocument the process with some before and after "shots".
ROTFL,
Sounds like something we would do!
Hope it helps. (if only it was that easy to get rid of these nasty things)
Reminds me of a baldfaced hornet problem that I had. You know those inverted teardrop shaped nests that you see from a few inches off of the ground to 40' up? They are nasty hornets when it comes to their sting, beneficial or not! A nest was in a tree directly above my dock. Having been stung, I wasn't leaving it there. Having practiced with an (adult) air rifle I was really good with it. I shot the branch repeatedly, in the same spot, until the weight of the nest caused the branch to break. Then I ran like hell! Good luck with the cats, guns and such!
Equil,
How does one go about spraying a 50' tree? Given the fact that I'm currently out of aircraft and my ladder stops at 12' I'm in a quandary.