Increasing tent caterpillar populations can cause extensive defoliation risking tree mortality if left unchecked. High populations may also decrease your ability to enjoy outdoor activities when the tent caterpillar is in the larval stage and actively feeding. Check your wooded areas in early spring for the presence of egg masses to determine if treatment is warranted. If some degree of defoliation was present during this years growing season, the possibility for increased populations in following years exists. Populations will eventually collapse from natural causes, however, this may take a few years without intervention.

Damage

When extremely numerous, the caterpillars feed upon nearly all green foliage, including shrubs, fruit trees, some garden crops, and even spruce and tamarack in wooded areas.

The first noticeable sign of an infestation is clusters of tiny black caterpillars feeding on opening buds and developing foliage in mid to late May.  As the season progresses the caterpillars eat more leaves, until all the foliage is consumed.  In the last half of June, the mature caterpillars migrate in search of new food supplies or suitable cocooning sites.  They are easily recognizable by their dark brown body with a broad band of blue along each side and prominent row of white or cream, keyhole shaped spots down the back.

Application Timing

Tiny caterpillars will emerge from the over-wintering eggs in the spring.  Greatly dependant upon the weather, treatment usually occurs in the latter part of May into the early part of June.  Two applications will control the Forest Tent Caterpillar if carried out at the optimum time when the majority of the hatch has occurred.  Only B.t. products are used, which are formulated from naturally occurring bacteria providing an environmentally sound alternative to chemical pesticides.  Caterpillar feeding will cease almost immediately which will result in a high degree of larval control and mortality.  The B.t. products applied offer no hazard to humans, pets, animals or other insects so you may resume outdoor activities at any time following the application.

Treatment

Bacillus Thuringiensis (B.t.) is a naturally occurring biological insecticide which only affects leaf eating caterpillars such as the Gypsy Moth Caterpillar, Tent Caterpillar and Spruce Budworm.  It will not harm other insects, birds, mammals or plants.  As a precaution, however, we do recommend that persons with severe allergies remain indoors or leave the area at the time of application.

B.t. is effective in very small quantities of less than one liter pre acre.  At this application rate, it is dispersed from the helicopter in very fine droplets which is very often not visible from the ground.  These fine droplets drift down and land on the foliage.  You may be able to see fine droplets as the leaves, vehicles or other items in the treatment area.  It is not harmful to painted surfaces and can be washed off easily with soap and water.

The B.t. product has additives to achieve rain fastness, however, if rain is in the immediate forecast we would not spray.

The caterpillars ingest the B.t. with the foliage.  Within hours they will stop feeding and die within a few days.  Two applications of the B.t. product is recommended for maximum effectiveness.

Maintaining a no-spray buffer zone between the treatment area and surrounding surface water is not necessary when applying B.t. products.........B.t. is a safe and effective biological insecticide.

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