). Right now they're in the trees and eating them (an entire branch overnight), but what I'm really worried about is that they'll come down and start eating my veggies, annuals, and perennials. Is this a possibility? Should I be bracing myself for a few bad years of gardening?Major Tent Worm Infestation
So it seems that overnight we have been infested by tent worms, we woke up this morning and the driveway was covered in their poop. We found one and identified it as tent worm. From what I'm reading there's not much you can do when they're on the upside of their cycle (which could last 3-4 years ). Right now they're in the trees and eating them (an entire branch overnight), but what I'm really worried about is that they'll come down and start eating my veggies, annuals, and perennials. Is this a possibility? Should I be bracing myself for a few bad years of gardening?
). Right now they're in the trees and eating them (an entire branch overnight), but what I'm really worried about is that they'll come down and start eating my veggies, annuals, and perennials. Is this a possibility? Should I be bracing myself for a few bad years of gardening?-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30551
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
When I see tents in my trees I monitor to see if the birds are doing their job. If it seems like foliage destruction is excessive I use whatever means I have to rip up the tents -- usually jet spray from water hose does the trick, though I've thrown stuff at the tents as well 
Depriving them of daytime hiding place gives the birds the chance to really do their work, the wasps and other daytime preditors will come around, and so will chipmunks and moles on the ground (or at least I assume that's what they were doing). Also, the caterpillars will now have to expend energy and effort spinning silk to repair their tents. I believe older caterpillars are not as capable of spinning silk so they are often left out in the open with nowhere to hide.
Depriving them of daytime hiding place gives the birds the chance to really do their work, the wasps and other daytime preditors will come around, and so will chipmunks and moles on the ground (or at least I assume that's what they were doing). Also, the caterpillars will now have to expend energy and effort spinning silk to repair their tents. I believe older caterpillars are not as capable of spinning silk so they are often left out in the open with nowhere to hide.
-
rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Here's a picture of the bags/ tents they make:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/152376159_1f54f855bb.jpg
the worms are very colorful:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/152374767_1479d0b167.jpg
When I find the tents, I clip off the branch its on and throw the whole thing in a fire, burn them up. They are a pretty major menace to trees.
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/152376159_1f54f855bb.jpg
the worms are very colorful:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/152374767_1479d0b167.jpg
When I find the tents, I clip off the branch its on and throw the whole thing in a fire, burn them up. They are a pretty major menace to trees.
Hmm, the branches are too high off to even clip with an extended clipper on top of a ladder. I'm not really sure what to do.rainbowgardener wrote:Here's a picture of the bags/ tents they make:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/152376159_1f54f855bb.jpg
the worms are very colorful:
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/52/152374767_1479d0b167.jpg
When I find the tents, I clip off the branch its on and throw the whole thing in a fire, burn them up. They are a pretty major menace to trees.
