Hey Northeast Gardeners!
So first it was voles.
Now it's the DREADED winter moth caterpillar. We are in a part of Mass that is particularly susceptible to this newish type of pest. I've heard it's very concentrated on the south coast of Mass - and that is where I am. They are those little green inch worms that are pooping everywhere right now (you can see the little black specks on the leaves), and swinging down from the trees above. I HATE THEM!
They are eating my japanese maples, my stewartia, by buckeye - all my small ornamental trees and now I've found them all over my RHODIE BUDS! ARRRGGGGGG. I have a LOT of rhodies!! They did this last year to the rhodie buds - they suck the life out of the bud - then when you squish them they are the same color as the flower. EWWW!!!
We have an organic yard - until these things show up - and then we spray with Monteray Garden spray (BT) - but as soon as we spray it rains and then we are back to the beginning. They can defoliate a tree very quickly. We had a very late leafing out because of some unusual heat in April and I thought maybe that would affect their life cycle, but they seem to be as strong as ever.
We have huge beech trees in our back yard and extensive shade gardens - so this is a losing battle - I cannot have the big trees sprayed - it's just too much.
Is anyone battling these little pests? Any advice or sympathy is greatly appreciated!!!
Kara
These winter moth caterpillars are MAKING ME SO MAD!!!!
You certainly have my sympathy!! How awful. I'm lucky enough (so far) not to have had to deal with them. I would contact your extension agent. Good luck!
I think what you're referring to are Bruce Spanworms.
A natural way to prevent the problem is to "band" the tree in late August, up where you can reach. The female has no wings and must climb up to lay her eggs. Here's a sample of what the product can look like, so you can find it in a store.
Ewwww, you have my sympathy.
We have a tree service which sprays with 'horticultural oil' when the trees start to leaf out. We can't do all the trees on 4 1/2 acres, but the acre near the house has been done the last 3 yrs. I still squash a few , but even the rear of our property seems to be holding up without defoliated trees. good luck. Also no sigh of the hemlock problems.
The Winter moth is a monster. It devastates my fruit trees. Bt works OK if applied weekly but can't be applied when the fruit is blooming. They come down from taller trees in the wind. They even eat the Heuchera (Coral Bells).
I didn't spray the Crabapple this year, they ate every apple. Those little apples are winter feed for the birds.
Andy P
In the spring as the trees leaf out our tree service uses horticultural oil. We have about 4 acres & only have the area around the house sprayed, but it seams to have decreased the critter damage by quite a bit. Tree services costs money, but winter moths costs plants as you know. Doesn't hurt birds etc.
Wow - sorry to hear that, Andy.
Yes, the little green caterpillars (Bruce Spanworms) turned my two beautiful red maples into tattered leaves in just one week!
Online experts mention that they usually run in 2-3 year cycles; banding the tree is apparently the solution. (Thank you, PrimroseSue!)
I try to ameliorate the pain by telling myself that the skeletonized remnants of leaves are "japanese threadleaf maples" for the time being.
At least they aren't as bad as the tent caterpillars of the 1980's outbreak.
I remember those! What you heard sounded like rain but it was them pooing. Yuck!
This message was edited Jun 6, 2009 9:57 PM
Yup! Every 2 or 3 seconds, you could hear a tiny "ping" sound on the leaves. At first, it sounded like an April/May shower (or sprinkle); then your heart would sink when you realized it was caterpillar manure from them devouring your trees!
Some special trees are almost like pets, or "family" favorites. Seeing them damaged knocks the wind out of 'ya.
They're back....
They have emerged from the ground and are flying around. They are everywhere.
I have a plan to save my trees. Wrap the trunks in 2 sided tape. It's an old idea that may work. Only the males have wings, the females must climb a host tree to mate and lay eggs.
I intend to use duct tape cut in strips and folded over to expose sticky on both sides. The tape can come off in a few weeks.
Andy P
Will give this a shot. Thanks for the info. We have em here in spades.
Martha
Again the horticultural oil works for us in the spring. Granted that may not do so in the fall. Ask a 'tree service'.
Iris, there is no doubt the oil works. However it costs money, real money for a service.
A roll or two of duct tape is cheap enough to try even for the unemployed like myself.
oh how gross... so sorry to hear you guys have these
I wrapped most of my tree trunks yesterday. The larger ones with very rough bark were skipped.
I went out after sunset to find flocks of moths everywhere, some males stuck to the tape.
I checked this AM to find wingless females stuck on every tree. I need more and stickier tape.
Well, not on every tree. The first trees were wrapped with old duct tape that had lost some of it's sticky. They will get wrapped again today.
Andy P
Gross.
If you are catching them now, there will be fewer in the spring. We would have to wrap our entire woods, but there doesn't seem to be defoliated trees there. Do they like open spaces with trees?
Iris, there is little hope for most trees as the baby inchworms drift down from taller trees on their silken thread. This effort is to help my fruit and hardwood trees out in the open.
Step outside after sunset tonight, walk around the lawn or woodsy areas. You'll know instantly if you have them. Southeast MA has an especially bad outbreak this season. Next spring looks bleak.
This is a dime sized winged male.
Oh, they mate and lay eggs now. The eggs overwinter to hatch as trees sprout in spring. The green inchworms munch until they grow enough then dig into the ground to pupate in the fall.
A melange of 3 shots of the same inchworm last April.
good luck andy - have not seen them here so far
I need a tape that stays sticky. The adhesive on duct tape dries up in a day exposed like this. I added an extra band above yesterdays band on a couple trees. Any ideas for a better tape? Do they still make fly paper, lol.
What about glue traps?
I use sticky paper for the gnats if they get out of hand.. it is still around
try the aluminum tape the stuff that is used for metal ducts that stuff is really sticky and stays that way just be carefull not to tape yourself up with it hahahahah so sticky
home depot has it and its about 15 dollars in canada so cheaper for you and it has enough on a roll to do most of your property lots more feet than the gray duct tape
They are one more miserable thing to attack the green things.We do seem to get a lot of the imported bugs before everyone else, no doubt due to the port in Boston. Here is a fact sheet that may give some info on the problem. This spring was not as bad as the year before probably because of the wet cold spring and early summer we had. They also get on roses and related perennials. Last fall there were no acorns at all here because they ate all the buds, thankfully this year is more normal. When I see the males flying about I biff as many as I can. They are attracted to light so maybe a bug light will kill some off, but the numbers are very high you can only put a dent in them.
Here's the link. http://www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/defoliators/wm_overview_09.pdf
15 or so which were on our door last night will never fly again. Drop in the bucket, but satisfying.
I found an old tube of Tangle Foot which I painted on the duct tape. The tape is now covered with carcasses which they walk over. It's a loosing battle.
I have them had no idea that they caused a problem, I didnt see any damage from them maybe its because we have so many trees so tall that I couldnt see it but what you are describing it seems you have an over aboundance of them I have only seen a few
They do defoliate trees
I have only noticed them on old apple trees in the back of my property, when I see a nest in the early spring I spray it with neem oil sorry about spelling, and it kills them garden raid works also, I walk my property everyday maybe that is why they have not taken over