TENT CATERPILLARS ON TREES AND SHRUBS
We’re already seeing damage from tent caterpillars. Tent caterpillars eat foliage and in the worst cases, can defoliate entire trees.
Eastern tent caterpillars feed on the leaves during the day, but spend the night back in the communal nests, located in branch crotches. These nests provide a great place to apply control efforts. Some trees attacked by the eastern tent caterpillar include chokecherry, pin cherry, and occasionally other hardwood species. The simplest method of control is to simply remove the nests and destroy them. The bacterial-based pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) works well to control young larvae, while pyrethrins or synthetic insecticides are needed for older larvae.
Forest tent caterpillars are another defoliator found throughout North Dakota. These insects appear at about the same time as eastern tent caterpillar, but have a much broader host range and no communal nest in trees. We’ve seen them on linden, ash, apple, oak, maple, lilac, rose and other deciduous trees and shrubs.
Control measures for forest tent caterpillar are the same as those for eastern tent caterpillar. For small infestations, the larvae can easily be picked off the tree and destroyed. Other insecticides available to homeowners include: acephate (Orthene), azadiracthin (Azatin), carbaryl (Sevin – old formulation), esfenvalerate (Bug-B-Gon), malathion, permethrin, spinosad (Conserve), or other insecticides registered for trees. Always read, understand and follow the insecticide label directions.
The caterpillars will complete their feeding in mid-to-late June, so control measures should be applied as soon as possible.
Source: https://web.facebook.com/ndsuextensionsargentcounty/posts/pfbid02GQrdcxYVfnKaqnTtuDH7aqpMHckYe4JjF34FDFHUZkD3b5xetCWNTkPzvuCwWAHel
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