This will be our second spring in the house we recently bought. Last spring I was astonished at the numbers of caterpillars that appeared. They got everywhere outside, and were so thick on the ground that it was hard to avoid stepping on them. They cocooned (everwhere, on everything), and although I spent the summer picking cocoons off the outdoor furniture and out of the garage, I'm still finding the occasional one now. I did some research, and these seem to be eastern tent caterpillars. They leave their eggs in patches in the crotches of trees, and since we have about an acre of woods behind our house, I'm not going to be able to kill them by getting rid of the nests. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep them away from the house/yard? They are going to hatch and appear any day now.
Thanks!
Donna