Worm Invasion!!

[airedale]

Man in my neck of the woods there is a huge infestation of what I think are as known as Tent Caterpillars, they are attacking the trees around here in force and defoliating a big Oak in a matter of a couple of days then moving on to the next tree. Always had a few show up around here but nothing like this, how long this is going to continue I do not know but these trees are going to be in tough shape if it goes on.

[doebuck1234]

Pretty bad here too.cant walk outside without having one on you or walking into em.i havent noticed and bare tree's yet but im sure they arent doing much good.my concern was them being somehow related to gypsy moths?i had a bunch of moths last year.glad you posted this as i was wondering what they were.still doing damage regardless

Edited June 6, 2021 by doebuck1234

[Fletch]

We had them real bad here about 10 years ago. They just stripped the trees. There were so many the ground looked like it was moving. We had them pretty bad the next year too and then hardly get many at all since. They did kill a couple trees. Stripping em once usually won't kill the tree but more can. I use to cut out and burn every nest I could reach back then.

Edited June 6, 2021 by Fletch

[Swamp_bucks]

They were bad here the last 2 years. There was a couple spots along the river that had so many nests it looked like they had snow on them.

[airedale]

They are Gypsy Moth Caterpillars. They have stripped several Oaks around my place and when out of the trees seem to be attracted to light colors like white.

The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) has five pairs of blue spots followed by six pairs of red spots in the oldest larvae stage. It prefers dining on oak, but in a full-blown infestation it will eat just about any kind of leaf. Federal government agencies are trying to keep gypsy moths from expanding into new areas rather than trying to eradicate them from existing areas.

Edited June 8, 2021 by airedale

[mattypotpie8S]

Bad here too. Birds don't like them?

[ApexerER]

Glad this was posted. My oak trees are getting demolished. Never seen anything like it in the 18 years i have had my house. Hope they turn to Moths soon and get the heck out of here before there aren't any leaves left on my trees...

[MPHunter]

Eastern Massachusetts had a severe gypsy moth caterpillar outbreak a few years ago. Driving out to the Cape on I-90 and down 495 there were huge areas of woods that looked like it was winter - completely stripped bare. Hope it's not as bad here this year. They actually were first brought to Massachusetts by a guy to use for silk production.

"The gypsy moth was brought to North America in 1869 by an artist named Mr. L. Trouvelot in a misguided attempt to breed a hardy silkworm. Some escaped and the first recorded defoliation by gypsy moth was in 1889 of the street trees in Trouvelot's own neighborhood of Medford, Massachusetts."