WATERVILLE (AP) – Hairy caterpillars are appearing along roadways and in forests in Maine in significant numbers this year, insect specialists say.
The caterpillars, known as fall webworms, construct unsightly silken nests in the branches of trees and shrubs and have been known to occasionally strip trees of their leaves. If the tent-like nests aren’t removed, they can become very large and even join together.
This year appears to be worse than most for the pest, said Clay Kirby of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Pest Management Office. Kirby said he spotted an unusually large number of fall webworm nests on a road trip to Portland last week.
“I saw a lot of nests and larger portions of the trees infested,” he said. “It was a recurring theme all the way down from Orono to Portland. This year is definitely one of the best years for that insect.”
The fall webworms begin appearing in summer, and by September their nests can be seen on roadside and woodland hardwoods, shrubs and ornamental trees. Although unsightly, the insects aren’t considered a threat to the health of the trees because they appear too late in the season, according to the Department of Conservation.
Douglas Fox, professor of landscape horticulture at Unity College, said the webworm’s tents get bigger as the insect eats.
“The tent gets really, really large when the need to feed is there,” Fox said. “A couple of mistakes I see people make is spraying them. It’s tough to spray inside the tent and I’ve watched people spraying them long after the fall webworm has left the tent and gone down into the soil.”
Kirby said his agency suggests people keep an eye on the trees in their yard throughout the summer and prune the nests when they first appear.
Fox watches for the fall webworms on his own land in early fall, just as they begin feeding.
“I reach up with a pole pruner and collect the branch and get rid of them,” Fox said. “Only a couple days later, more show up, new ones. You’ve got to be persistent.”
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Information from: Morning Sentinel, http://www.onlinesentinel.com/
AP-ES-09-04-05 1315EDT
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