Attack of the Caterpillars
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
We’re under attack by caterpillars. Well, at least some of our trees are.
Master Gardner Bob Harris says the infestation is due to the late frost, which weakened the trees and forced them to make more leaves.
“We’re getting attacked by the forest tent caterpillar and Eastern tent caterpillar,” Harris said. “They’re going to chew on a lot of leaves.”
“A lot of (the trees) can’t afford to have the caterpillars eat up the second set of leaves,” Harris said. “That will do them in.”
He said just about every ornamental tree will be affected as will crab apple, cherry, beech and oak trees. Some trees it won’t touch are the horse chestnut and red maple, although they do like sugar maple.
Harris said there are several things people can do to protect their trees. The first is putting a belt of grease around the trunk.
“That’s very, very helpful because these caterpillars go up and down the tree every day,” Harris said. “They like to go up in the evening when it’s safe and the birds aren’t going to attack them. They hide in the grass during the day.”
“If you have the ring of grease around the trunk, they can’t get across that,” Harris said.
He said Vaseline works well, and there are products specifically made to keep caterpillars out of trees.
Harris said if the caterpillars are already in the tree, and it’s a small tree, you can pick them out by hand. If it’s a larger tree, you may want to use a systemic insecticide.
A systemic is not like a spray insecticide that has to be re-applied, he explained. You apply the systemic once, the tree will absorb it and will have it in its system for 12 months.
He said you mix it up in a watering can, and “water” around the tree, but not too close to the trunk. You want to get close to the feeder roots, so “water” in an area halfway from the base of the trunk to the end of the branches.
“It’s not going to work overnight, so the earlier you apply it the better off you are,” Harris said, adding that it’s “well worth doing, especially if you have trees you really want to protect.”
But, Harris cautioned, make sure you have an infestation before you start doing anything.
“Don’t jump the gun and just start protecting every tree,” he said.
He said if there’s a problem, you will definitely see the caterpillars and the leaves they’re chewing.
“Half a dozen leaves chewed up is not a problem,” he said. “A dozen caterpillars is nothing to worry about. We have that every year.”
You can listen to Around the Home with Bob Harris at 8:30 Saturday mornings on 1490 WESB.
WESB/WBRR News Director
We’re under attack by caterpillars. Well, at least some of our trees are.
Master Gardner Bob Harris says the infestation is due to the late frost, which weakened the trees and forced them to make more leaves.
“We’re getting attacked by the forest tent caterpillar and Eastern tent caterpillar,” Harris said. “They’re going to chew on a lot of leaves.”“A lot of (the trees) can’t afford to have the caterpillars eat up the second set of leaves,” Harris said. “That will do them in.”
He said just about every ornamental tree will be affected as will crab apple, cherry, beech and oak trees. Some trees it won’t touch are the horse chestnut and red maple, although they do like sugar maple.Harris said there are several things people can do to protect their trees. The first is putting a belt of grease around the trunk.
“That’s very, very helpful because these caterpillars go up and down the tree every day,” Harris said. “They like to go up in the evening when it’s safe and the birds aren’t going to attack them. They hide in the grass during the day.”
“If you have the ring of grease around the trunk, they can’t get across that,” Harris said.
He said Vaseline works well, and there are products specifically made to keep caterpillars out of trees.
Harris said if the caterpillars are already in the tree, and it’s a small tree, you can pick them out by hand. If it’s a larger tree, you may want to use a systemic insecticide.
A systemic is not like a spray insecticide that has to be re-applied, he explained. You apply the systemic once, the tree will absorb it and will have it in its system for 12 months.
He said you mix it up in a watering can, and “water” around the tree, but not too close to the trunk. You want to get close to the feeder roots, so “water” in an area halfway from the base of the trunk to the end of the branches.
“It’s not going to work overnight, so the earlier you apply it the better off you are,” Harris said, adding that it’s “well worth doing, especially if you have trees you really want to protect.”
But, Harris cautioned, make sure you have an infestation before you start doing anything.
“Don’t jump the gun and just start protecting every tree,” he said.
He said if there’s a problem, you will definitely see the caterpillars and the leaves they’re chewing.
“Half a dozen leaves chewed up is not a problem,” he said. “A dozen caterpillars is nothing to worry about. We have that every year.”
You can listen to Around the Home with Bob Harris at 8:30 Saturday mornings on 1490 WESB.
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