They'rrrrrr baaaaaccckkkk. Tent caterpillars or whatever the heck they are and ther're worse as ever. They clog up drainage pipes, window casements, hot tub lines, , etc etc.
Is there ANYTHING that can be done besides waiting it out??
Thanks.
In Washington State they use B.T. - pretty damn effective.
Yep, it is. Best used while the critters are still 'camping' in their tent. The bacteria has access to more of them while they're still in there. Still, you could help stave off some of next year's crop.
Oh dear, been there.
Our first year here we were horrified by the infestation of Eastern Tent caterpillars. Disgusting things. If they've already hatched, there isn't much you can do this year except wait it out. Take your lawn furniture in if you've put it out, take in any kids' toys, and keep your garage closed -- that will at least minimize the coccoon-building on stuff you care about. Picking off all of the cocoons is a disgusting job. Ask me how I know. :) They'll only be actively crawling and eating for three weeks or so, so take heart. It's not forever.
What you can do is start battling them now for next year. This year, kill them as you can, and destroy as many coccoons as you can find. This winter, when the leaves fall, look in all of your non-evergreens (they won't nest in evergreens) for the spider-webby "tents", and get rid of them. As many as you can find/reach. My favorite way to get rid of them is to clip off the end of the branch where the nest is, then toss the whole thing into the firepit. Emotionally, that's very satisfying. :)
We're three years past our first invasion, and this year there was only one nest that was too high for us to kill off last winter. Our invasion has been less and less of an issue each spring. But before we started hunting down and burning the nests each winter, ugh, it was just gross when they hatched.
HTH.
Donna
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