Tent caterpillars hanging out; photo by ken schneider
The University of Minnesota Extension office reports that yard/ garden/ woods insect activity is 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule. As if we needed to tell you.
Besides the tick population being particularly proliferous (I’m sure they’re proud), tent caterpillar sightings have also been way more numerous and way earlier than usual. They are responsible for the big white masses you’ve seen woven in amongst tree branches…get close to them and you can see the swarming mass feasting on the tree. Yum.
The good news: getting rid of them is usually a pretty low-tech affair. Simply cut off the affected branch area(s), put the branch(es) down on a hard surface, and step on the web to kill the insects. Or get a less-squeamish individual to do the above. It’s one of the few things that really is that easy. Happy Spring!
