How to Identify Eastern Tent Caterpillars

There are three species of tent caterpillars, all of which can cause a lot of damage to your trees. Here's how to identify the Eastern Tent Caterpillar, which prefers wild cherry, apple and crabapple trees, but will also eat ash, birch, blackgum, redgum, willow, witch-hazel, maple, oak, poplar, cherry, peach and plum trees.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Look for tent-caterpillar eggs in the winter months, when early identification can take place. You will find the eggs encircling small twigs on the trees in shiny, ring-like masses about 3/4-inch long.

2. Look for small larvae in the spring, when the eggs hatch. The larvae will begin to construct a web-like tent in the forks of branches. The tent will become larger as the larvae develop.

3. Identify the larvae when they come out of the nest to feed. They are primarily black with a white line down their back. On their sides are blue spots between two yellow lines.

4. Look on tree trunks, fences or buildings for the whitish cocoons where the larvae pupate in late spring and early summer.

5. Expect adult moths to emerge from the cocoons in late June or early July. They are reddish-brown, with two white stripes on each wing.

Tips & Warnings

• To get rid of tent caterpillars, destroy the "tents." Some tents can be pruned away; others will require pesticides.
• Tent caterpillars can keep a tree from growing and developing properly, but are unlikely to kill the tree.
• Don't try to destroy caterpillar tents by burning them, as this can cause damage to the tree.

[AbbyNormal]

on 3/22/2008 Caterpillar nests don't harm a tree. We get them all the time here. They are gross, but harmless ...... but very ewie.