tent caterpillars

[tree monkey]

ive had a call saying one of there sycamore trees is infested with tent caterpillars any advice on these critters please.

[Andy Collins]

Blow lamp for smaller colonies, or bust open the webs and let the robins do their stuff, nature takes care of itself.

[tree monkey]

are they harmfull to the tree?

[swinny]

Don't you see them kill back parts of hedges etc i think?

[Ian Haynes]

Hi Tree Monkey,

 

If you want to kill them ? You want the spray the infested area with Dimilin flo, its a selective insecticide used for the control of lepidopterans. (Moths, Butterflies and caterpillars).

 

It has a really low level of toxicity to mammals / humans but is really bad for fishes.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Ian

[Andy Collins]

These caterpillars will defoliate trees and hedges very quicky, and if youre unlucky you can get up to three generations in one year. On the plus side, when they hatch they are a favourite of our bats. I prefer just busting the webs open so birds can feast on this glut of food this time of year, especially if they are trying to feed a brood of young. I had robins wrens sparrows and more swooping down to pick them off, and its far more environmentlly friendly than chemicals

[tree monkey]

not a fan of poisons always worried about secondary poisoning of the beasties that eat them.The trouble is i in the crown of a pretty tall tree so be awquard to get them evicted.

as for defoliaring hedges i realy havnt seen such infestation

[Andy Collins]

I had it in my own gsrden on a young hedge this year. At least it was easy to reach so I just blow lamped the webs so the caterpillars just fell out, birds did the rest. How about a pole saw pole to reach the webs in the tree?