Eastern Tent Catapillars?

**Dredly** · May 23rd, 2008, 04:51 PM

Anyone having a bear of a time with these stupid things this year? They are EVERYWHERE! I only have 1 tree on my property with nests (big apple tree) but the pests are all over the outside of my house, a few inside (probably from the dogs), they are all over my porch, shed...

Now they are starting to eat other trees as well including some new trees I just planted this year.

I took the blow torch out last night and burned their biggest nests out of the apple tree and "pruned" the branches they were on but they are still everywhere.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to remove these stupid things and keep them away from my new plants?

**normanvin** · May 23rd, 2008, 04:58 PM

I have two plum tress in the yard. I will remove the nest and dispose of it before it emerges. The trees are not that big as of yet.

**nijwnfi** · May 23rd, 2008, 08:13 PM

Tent Cats are pretty much done feeding by now. They're pretty much lazing around laying some eggs, and getting ready to pupate. Gypsy moth caterpillars are actively feeding, but are much smaller at this point. At this point any nests you can clean out is a feel good thing. Time for treatment is usually early April. If you have smaller trees, check out those insecticide sprayers you can hook to a garden hose. READ AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE LABEL. If you are spraying fruit trees be sure the product is labeled for it. Pulling the nests out works, but you don't always get them all. I speak from years of experience spraying trees.

**Damage control** · May 23rd, 2008, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by Dredly

Anyone having a bear of a time with these stupid things this year? They are EVERYWHERE! I only have 1 tree on my property with nests (big apple tree) but the pests are all over the outside of my house, a few inside (probably from the dogs), they are all over my porch, shed...

Now they are starting to eat other trees as well including some new trees I just planted this year.

I took the blow torch out last night and burned their biggest nests out of the apple tree and "pruned" the branches they were on but they are still everywhere.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to remove these stupid things and keep them away from my new plants?

This sounds silly but it works. Use dish liquid soap and water. I use a car wash attachment for a garden hose fill the soap dispenser with dish liquid and blast away. It also works on bee's kills them instantly.

Try it with a spray bottle so you know it works.

Be safe

DC

**Dredly** · May 23rd, 2008, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by nijwnfi

Tent Cats are pretty much done feeding by now. They're pretty much lazing around laying some eggs, and getting ready to pupate. Gypsy moth caterpillars are actively feeding, but are much smaller at this point. At this point any nests you can clean out is a feel good thing. Time for treatment is usually early April. If you have smaller trees, check out those insecticide sprayers you can hook to a garden hose. READ AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE LABEL. If you are spraying fruit trees be sure the product is labeled for it. Pulling the nests out works, but you don't always get them all. I speak from years of experience spraying trees.

Yeah didn't think they were going to be that bad this year but I have at least 100, probably more in a plastic container outside that I've scraped off trees this morning or picked up off the porch (if you step on them they make a huge mess)...

think its about time for a little fire :P

**Tootie** · May 24th, 2008, 09:09 AM

I use a pesticide called Sevin. If you spray it on the truck of the trees it kills the caterpillars when they try to climb back up the tree. I also spray any nests that I can reach and seems to work quite well.

**CarolinaGuy** · May 24th, 2008, 07:51 PM

The moths prefer to lay on fruitwood. I have massive black cherry trees that are going down this fall because of this. I also have a crabapple small enough to spot-pick the egg masses for now, but that thing's days are numbered.

I much prefer my hardwoods to the fruitwoods (the latter none of which I planted), so I'm gonna nip it in the [fruit] bud.

you can also put those inverted funnels from 2 liter bottle tops to "trap" them uptree. the bacteria subtillis thurengesis [sp] also selectively kills them. Best to hit them when they're young, and apply on leaves that will be ingested and gut-locked. The bigger they get, the harder they are to control.