CATERPILLARS TENT CATERPILLERS WEBBING IN YOUR TREES PEST CONTROL EXTERMINATOR FORT MYERS NAPLES BONITA SPRINGS FLORIDA

TENT CATERPILLARS

            While not a common critter found in this area, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar occasionally is found on some Florida trees.   They can thrive on several kinds of deciduous trees, but they seem to prefer wild cherry, apple and crabapple.  Eastern tent caterpillar populations fluctuate from year to year, with outbreaks occurring every several years. Defoliation of trees, building of unsightly silken nests in trees, and wandering caterpillars crawling over plants, walkways, and roads cause this insect to be a pest in the late spring and early summer. While tent caterpillars can nearly defoliate a tree when numerous, the tree will usually recover and put out a new crop of leaves.

            Trees known to support this creature include several Rose family relatives that are temperate fruit trees: cherry, peach, pear, and plum.  Other plants known to host tent caterpillars include the hawthorn, maple, oak, beech and poplar, especially if found growing next to the preferred host plants. Tent Caterpillars have a light blue head with mottled black brown body and yellowish-white keyhole spots on their back bordered by pale blue lines, with sparse white hairs.  Tent Caterpillars will be in a clump of webbing on tree limbs that is filled with masses of these caterpillars. Caterpillars can be active for several weeks and are fully grown - about 2" long - in four to six weeks. Adult moths lay eggs in webs that are found in the crotch of tree limbs.  The eggs hatch in spring, and then begin their feeding frenzy.

            Adult tent caterpillar moths are brown and yellowish with two diagonal markings on the front wings. Wingspreads are about 1 inch. These moths are attracted to lights and are sometimes very abundant. Tent caterpillar moths live for only a few days, during which they mate and lay eggs. Adults do not feed. Each species of tent caterpillar has only one generation per year.

            If you live in Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort  Myers, or anywhere in Southwest Florida and are suffering from unsightly Tent Caterpillars and would like more information on these damaging pests, call our office, 239-455-4300, or look us up on our website at collierpestcontrol.com. Remember Florida does not have to be shared with pests.

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