Comments on: Ewww…

By: Marvin

Marvin — Fri, 30 May 2008 18:38:16 +0000

No tent caterpillars in the Ozarks yet. Strange that they emerge in the NE before points considerably farther south. I seem to remember our peak infestation occurring in mid to late summer. Admittedly, I’ve never paid that much attention to our tent cats. We could very well have a different species.

As for how I deal with them: I don’t. Yes, populations vary from year to year, but never reach a level that I’d consider them a problem requiring my intervention. Perhaps natural forces keep the situation under control on our chemical-free homestead. Or, perhaps we are just lucky. I dunno.

Living out in the boonies, there is no social pressure to eradicate our tent cats so we just leave them be. I don’t know if this is a sign of our sensitivity to the natural world or just plain old laziness.

By: RuthieJ

RuthieJ — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:52:38 +0000

Bluebirds like them too!
Here’s my sad story…… Probably about 12 years ago, (and much stupider than I am today) I had a bunch of these caterpillars on one of my crabapple trees. So I sprayed the whole bunch of them with Raid and by the next day they were all dead. Here’s the really sad part–within 2 days my mother bluebird was also dead in her house sitting on 4 eggs and I was responsible for her death by spraying those caterpillars. It took me a long time to figure out that I actually caused her death and the day I did was the day my yard became chemical free. It was a stupid and needless “accident” that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I learned a valuable lesson the really hard way.

By: Marty

Marty — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:42:14 +0000

I hate having them in our own trees, and I've always been surprised by how out-of-control they can get. I guess that there aren't many natural predators. I did, however, watch a warbling vireo poke holes in a tent and start grabbing the tasty morsels from inside, so I guess that some birds like 'em!

By: mon@rch

mon@rch — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:44:27 +0000

I have seen many around this year but then again I think I remember also seeing many last year! Yeck is right!

By: Carolyn Hoffman

Carolyn Hoffman — Fri, 09 May 2008 15:04:33 +0000

Tent caterpillars are highly variable down here at Roundtop. As you said, sometimes there’s a lot, sometimes there aren’t many. This year, i haven’t seen many so far.

Carolyn H.

By: Adam R. Paul

Adam R. Paul — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:34:05 +0000

Great photos of a nifty caterpillar! Love the 2nd photo. I haven’t seen any, and in fact I’m not sure they occur here.

I’m definitely with themarvelousinnature and you – most “pests” aren’t.

By: winterwoman

winterwoman — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:20:38 +0000

OOh.. Fish food… Intriguing thought…

And I agree with you, themarvelousinnature, about lawns and societal norms in general!!!

By: themarvelousinnature

themarvelousinnature — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:47:48 +0000

I did a post last week about them, in fact, because they struck me as being unusually numerous this year. I think they’re unfairly demonized, like many things. Sure, they can eat a bit of your tree, but they rarely kill their host unless it’s sick to begin with, and the trees bounce back later in the season or the following year. They’re mostly just a “pest” because they make the tree look unsightly for a brief period. One of those weird cultural values that’s developed, like having a perfectly green, unblemished lawn. Personally I’d rather have the cheerful yellow of the dandelions than the sterile flat green. And I’d rather sacrifice a few leaves and have the caterpillars to watch.

By: Nina

Nina — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:28:46 +0000

oops–P-O-N-D

By: Nina

Nina — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:28:05 +0000

I’ve not seen any here yet.
I can usually guarantee they’ll find our cherries out back, though.
There’s no greater satisfaction than throwing the sticky, tangled mass into the pod–fish love ‘em!