Tent Caterpillars

[bwframe]

Tent Caterpillars.

Is it only my area that seems overrun with these? I noticed a few days ago the abundance of these caterpillars around my house. I paid them little attention, other than the fact that there was a lot of them. I noticed them on the rhubarb, but they seemed to be just crawling around rather than eating.

Today I strolled past my fairly neglected blueberries. The bushes looked a bit odd. Upon closer inspection, I determined that they HAD NO LEAVES. The plants were covered with these caterpillars and decimated.

 

[IndyGunworks]

Propane torch

 

[Fishersjohn48]

They are very heavy right now. We started spray programs for them yesterday and found them all over the West side of Indy. I had heard reports that they were in Bloomington area about 10 days ago. No idea why they are so bad this spring.

 

[Leadeye]

I find them in the woods, usually on black cherry, we spray to keep them off of things around the house.

 

[jontheturboguy]

Best crappie and sunfish bait ever.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Seems like a tons of these things around this year. What's everybody else using to control these things?

 

[Frosty]

Seems like a tons of these things around this year. What's everybody else using to control these things?

Grandma always used a lighter to keep them off her mulberry tree.

 

[bwframe]

I find them in the woods, usually on black cherry, we spray to keep them off of things around the house.

What do you spray them with?

 

[buckstopshere]

I just sprayed their webs that are in my trees tonight with this stuff called Seven. It works great. All those suckers will be dead by tomorrow. We had the same issue last year and this stuff works.

Picked it up at Home Depot for around $10 I think.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I just sprayed their webs that are in my trees tonight with this stuff called Seven. It works great. All those suckers will be dead by tomorrow. We had the same issue last year and this stuff works.

Picked it up at Home Depot for around $10 I think.

That's what I did too. Seems to have worked.

 

[flightsimmer]

About four decades ago we had them in our neighborhood for about three or four years in a row, they were on everything everywhere and then all of a sudden the next year they were gone and haven't seen them since.
I have been noticing them this year on trees along I-74 between Batesville and Greensburg though.
They are a big nuisance.

 

[drop45]

Don't know if I would be spraying any chemicals on fruit and berry trees, unless you are not consuming from them. What I have done and still do is cut open a handful of habenero peppers and boil them in a gallon of water and just let them steep in there for a couple of hours, and then fill up my spray bottle and go to town on all those pesky bugs, Just stay upwind of the mist.

 

[bwframe]

Don't know if I would be spraying any chemicals on fruit and berry trees, unless you are not consuming from them. What I have done and still do is cut open a handful of habenero peppers and boil them in a gallon of water and just let them steep in there for a couple of hours, and then fill up my spray bottle and go to town on all those pesky bugs, Just stay upwind of the mist.

This kills them or repels them? For sure on the tent caterpillars?

 

[bwframe]

I'm not quick to go to insecticides.
The critters don't seem real tough. A fairly subtle tap seems to do them in if not splatter them.
I squirted a few with 91% rubbing alcohol today, after which they never moved.
I separated and sealed a length of poly rope today with a trigger Bernzomatic torch. I occurred to me it might be worth an occasional walk around the house with the torch for spot control. First place I found three of them; on the gas meter...

 

[rdb700]

There are a few insecticides that can be used on them. Sevin works good but doesn't last very long. Permethrin is good and can be used on fruit trees but have to read label for harvest restrictions. Some of these require a license to purchase and some variations of it wont require a license.

 

[drop45]

Bw it work on any leaf eating insect or larva that I've run across. Have no history with tent cat's though. It won't kill them just repels them, but if they can't eat they won't live.

 

[drop45]

Don't get that torch too close to an evergreen cause it will go up like, well, a christmass tree.

 

[flightsimmer]

You would have to use a crop duster aircraft to do any good over an area, we'er not talking about millions of them, we'er talking about several billions of them.
When we had them in our area you couldn't walk anywhere without stepping on hundreds of them.
Then, one year they were just gone, don't have any idea why, but thank God they were gone and haven't seen any since for about four decades now.

 

[Inabcentia]

Seems like the severe cold of the winter would have reduced their numbers some. Maybe it did. I guess it could be worse. What are they actually. A certain type of moth?

 

[printcraft]

........First place I found three of them; on the gas meter...

Yeah, but the bright side is you will know if you have any leaks............ energy is getting expensive enough, no reason to waste it.