Tent Caterpillars?

[whipper]

You guys in the south get these little pesky caterpillars called tent Caterpillars?

They eat the leaves of the trees and make huge nests in the trees, theres millions of them hear right now!! How the heck can you kill them!!?? They turn to moths but before that happens they destroy the greenery.:furious

 

[GotMyAlly]

I always thought they were worms........

But around here, most people advocate that you break off the affected limb and burn it so that they can't spread.

However, I've got a neighborhood lake in my back yard with a feeder on my dock and a whole school of hungry bream that hang out around that feeder. I just toss the limb in the water and watch the fish do their thing......

 

[whipper]

haa yes good plan i remember my dad doing this now cutting of the limb and burning it. My only only problem is its an infestation so whole trees are being eaten buy the day. Ill try playing some Miley Cyrus loud that seems to scare everything off.:laughing I think ill go fishing its 80deg and sunny. Might take some for bait.

 

[SLOmofo]

Biological controls - Young larvae may be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki, or Bt. Bt is a naturally occurring bacteria that interferes with the caterpillar's ability to digest food. It must be applied to the foliage of the infested trees. The caterpillars ingest Bt as they eat, and will stop eating immediately and die within a few days. You do not need to spray the tents or the caterpillars. Late instar caterpillars, especially those that are already migrating to pupate, cannot be treated effectively with Bt.

If you use this the bacteria will become established and continue to work in the future. Google is your friend sometimes.

 

[whipper]

Biological controls - Young larvae may be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis var kurstaki, or Bt. Bt is a naturally occurring bacteria that interferes with the caterpillar's ability to digest food. It must be applied to the foliage of the infested trees. The caterpillars ingest Bt as they eat, and will stop eating immediately and die within a few days. You do not need to spray the tents or the caterpillars. Late instar caterpillars, especially those that are already migrating to pupate, cannot be treated effectively with Bt.

If you use this the bacteria will become established and continue to work in the future. Google is your friend sometimes.

AWSOME!!! There is MILLIONS of them they are all over deck the house the driveway the trees!! I put some dawn in the pressure washer and spryed the crap out of everything to clean the house area. Then I used 3 cans of wd 40 and sprayed a perimeter away from the house. they were useing my chain link fence as a bridge!! I smeared white grease on the poles from the forest and they all just backed away.:big grin I gotta get me some BT next.:beer:

 

[Darth VMAX]

You see them all the time in the Ozarks during summer. I am not sure they do enough damage to decimate an entire tree but they are unsightly because of the entire branch end all "cocooned" up with the brown leaves inside. We barely have enough trees in Kansas but every once in a while you will see a tree with them.

 

[SLOmofo]

If you use a true soap, Castile Soap, it will kill them on contact, well not instantly but is will coat them so they can't breath. Dr Bonners peppermint soap is what I use, 2 table spoons to a gallon, pump up sprayer. Maybe for you with taller trees a garden hose siphon sprayer might work to get up high. The BT would be effected by the soap.

Very invigorating soap if you shower with it. Smells great, just try not to leave it on your sensitive areas very long.

 

[jimbob88]

I did not need that mental image Gary. So many questions that do not need answers. Lmao

 

[whipper]

I did not need that mental image Gary. So many questions that do not need answers. Lmao

:big grin

 

[hooken203]

I remember those when I was a kid We went Canada every summer. They called them army worms. I used them to catch fish around the docks.