Fall webworms are back. They are really becoming more apparent as they grow and their webs get larger.
- Fall webworms nests start to become apparent in late summer.
This is not the same caterpillar we saw in the spring; those were the Eastern Tent caterpillar.
Because fall webworms emerge in late summer, they don’t have a chance to do much damage to trees but their webs sure are ugly.
Fall webworms feed on a wide variety of trees. In our area this summer, I’ve been seeing them on walnuts, oaks, mulberries, cherries and other trees.
There are a couple of options available for controlling these pests. The simplest method is to manually pull the webs down and destroy them. For those you can’t reach, use a chemical pesticide sprayed up onto the web. You don’t need much because they are easily killed by most chemical insecticides.
Some people recommend spraying the biological insecticide Bt. Bt works best when the worm are small.
Try to resist the urge to burn the webs in place on the tree. You’ll end up scorching twig bark causing more damage to the tree than the webworms.
Paper wasps are a natural enemy of the fall webworm. If a paper wasp nest is located in a place on your property where they aren’t disturbing anyone, think about leaving them there to help control the webworms.
Bob