Outside of using them for composting, worms just haven't been on our radar. That is, until they invaded our Walnut tree (worm jerks!). So we sat down with our old friend Google and tried to find out exactly what was taking over our tree and how to make it stop. Were they web worms? Bag worms? Or the Eastern Tent Caterpillar? Find out the differences on each and how you can keep your trees in check after the jump.
We came across a fantastic, to the point article outlining the differences between the three types of tree worms.
Check out some of the main points below:
Bag Worms
Often times people mislabel the bag worm. They are the sneakiest of the 3, as they camouflage their web with bits of the tree they are living on (as seen above). They are small and create little diamond shaped bags on arborvitae (fancy word for things in the cypress family), Leyland cypress, and juniper. To rid your trees of them, pick or clip them off of the limbs and drop the bags into a bucket of hot soapy water. If you would like to treat your trees before they become a problem, you can try insecticides. B.t. (Dipel), carbaryl (Sevin), and malathion are all labeled to control them. Just make sure to do it in June or early July so the insecticides will penetrate the web.
Fall Web Worms
The Fall Web Worm makes it's appearance at the end of summer and into the fall (hence the name). They create large webs at the end of tree branches, bushes and shrubs. They feed on over 600 different types of trees although their tree of choice is one that is fruit producing. Web Worms may be white/yellow in color, or black. They are smaller in size and markings on them are typically hard to see without the help of a macro lens camera. They are easily taken care of with a long stick or pole. Simply pull down the web, which will leave the worms exposed to birds and insects. Carbaryl (Sevin) can be used to spray webs within reach. Make sure to spray the foliage closest to the web mass, as spraying the web itself doesn't give good contact with the caterpillars. If the webs are not within reach, don't worry; although they are unsightly they usually do not harm the tree's overall health.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
The Eastern Tent Caterpillar is often times confused with the Fall Web Worm, although there are a few major differences. You can identify them by the location their web is spun and coloring. The Caterpillars form webs in the crotches of a tree in late spring-summer, while the fall web worms form their webs at the end of branches later on in the season. The Caterpillars are traditionally black with a gold or white stripe down their back. They are larger in size (like you would think of caterpillars normally being) and are most often found on wild cherry, crabapple, and apple trees but other kind of trees are occasionally infested. They create an "egg mass" that is typically black with white spots in which the caterpillars hatch from. If seen before hatching in the spring, they can be removed from the tree before suffering from an infestation. If you don't happen to spot them until they go all Bob The Builder on you and begin the web building you have a few options. One is to pull the web down with a long stick or pole, shaking the caterpillars loose, and stepping on them (ew). The other is to clip that section of the tree down and burn it in a safe, designated area. Please, PLEASE do not try to light anything on fire while it is still on the tree. Aside from not being safe, it's not healthy for your tree. Carbaryl (Sevin) is labeled for controlling Eastern tent caterpillar, but it must be used before the infestation occurs.
For those still holding onto the edge of their seats to discover what invaded out Walnut tree.... it's web worms. Although, the webby mass that is in our tree isn't as photogenic as the opening graphic which was found by Amber over at myaimistrue. She found these Eastern Tent Caterpillars while spending time outdoors back in April.
Heebie-Jeebies aside, these worms/caterpillars actually make pretty cool photography subjects if you can get past the wriggling and squirming of it all. Check out some of these cool Flickr images we found:
This one happens to be our favorite. It's like Shark Week... Insect style. You can check out ProfJosh's Flickr to see the play by play of this wasp taunting, and then eating a web worm. Gross, and totally awesome.
Photos by zxgirl, Hexe75, mimbrava, jtuason, and jaciii via Flickr.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
This is why I am a City Girl. I'd rather occasionally see a roach and scream for my husband than walk outside and see a freakin' web of worms anyday.
view JV's profile
Thanks, AT. I had just sat down with my lunch and a little internet surfing when i opened this page. really nice.
view misslyss's profile
I use to keep these caterpillars in an aquarium when I was a kid. Then I would watch them make a cocoon and then turn into butterflies. If they lived that long.
view art's profile
horrifying!
view superchou's profile
Ewww...so gross. BUT, having said that, I used to climb trees and collect them in jars as a kid. I have no idea why...I guess I was a weird child.
They are a big problem here in Virginia.
view Monica's profile
Just cover them in chocolate and eat them...a sure fire way to make money and eradicate the problem.
view LittleRock's profile
I don't know why they're called "worms"...
...Worms live in the ground, gather nutrients from ingesting dirt, and are all that they are ever going to be: Worms.
Caterpillars are juvenile insects - They live in trees, eat leaves and are eventually going to transform into either a butterfly or a moth.
Everything you've posted here are Caterpillars - not Worms.
view bepsf's profile
Tent caterpillars can be killed quickly and without chemicals, touching, or stomping by spraying them with dishsoap and water. We do it every spring because it's best to catch them before they exit the tent. Mix up a pretty soapy mixture and put it in a spray bottle. Spray tents heavily. You might need to repeat once. Once they are dead, clip the branch and burn it.
view farmhousemoderne's profile
ughh that is wild....i felt sick when I saw this...yikes.
Jen Ramos
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view jenniferramos's profile
we don't have a problem with worms/caterpillars around here....here in the dirty south we are over run with flying water bugs. they look like roaches but they can fly...and they are so dumb they end up killing themselves by running so fast and flipping over and can't turn over. I guess they are a huge issue since we have so many old trees in my neighborhood but they come creeping in every summer looking for the water....i find them utterly disgusting. the only place I've ever seen them besides around here are down in Florida at our beach house. I hate them.
view LittleRock's profile
Eeek! .... As much as I freak out whenever I see insects, worms, spiders, etc., their pictures are like a car wreck I can't take my eyes off of. So it's no surprise I've bookmarked, www.whatsthatbug.com. Awesome site.
view Artichokesoup's profile
i have always known the tent caterpillar the gypsy moth - they used to keep us in at school when we were young so planes could fly overhead and spray to kill them so they wouldn't kill all the trees.
view ckharv's profile
ewwww... eeeek.... ewwwww.... I'd run away screaming!
view Masik's profile
GROSSSS. This picture made my skin crawl.
view chusmabilly's profile
I always found the Eastern Tent Caterpillar to be attractve - they seemed to have a lot of personality, chutzpah even.
view peacelily's profile
ugh!! GROSS!!
i couldnt even read this!
view Goody's profile
UGHH!! When I was a kid these caterpillars INVADED my little town for several summers in a row. My bad memories were stirred up looking at this page. GROSS! Boys used to throw them at us and put them on their tongues to make us freak out! I have not thought about these for years, and seeing this makes me shiver with nausea. Why did you post this AT? Why?
view chilly's profile
I love this post! Although, I would be one of those kids who would harass people by throwing these things at them. So the web, if you ignore them, do they eventually kill the tree, or are they just a temporary annoyance? If they turn into something less abhorrent over time, maybe it would be better if they were just left alone...?
view somedudeinvicenza's profile
When I was a teenager, we had a huge Tent infestation in the town (along with the fly over spraying controversy). I remember taking those big 5 quart (? gallon?) ice cream buckets and collecting the caterpillars I found in it. They'd get all sluggish due to the weight, and then I'd stir them with a stick to get 'em all riled up and gross out my brother. They were literally crawling all over the place, no matter where you looked it had a tent caterpillar. Filled the whole bucket! Then dad got mad and lit them on fire. Ruined my bucket.
I loathe tent caterpillars with a firey passion that consumes my soul for what they did to our trees and will fight them with fire till my last, gasping breath. Death to the squirmers!!!!
view That70sHeidi's profile
I'm from Southern Maryland and I remember several summers where my dad would go out and destroy the caterpillar infestations in our back yard. I always cried over it. :\
I used to be a Girl Scout and one weekend we, along with about fifty other troops, camped out in a huge field surrounded by trees. There were caterpillars all over the ground and they kept getting into our tents. Try to imagine a couple hundred pre-teen girls constantly screaming because they accidentally squished a 'pillar!
view Cheryl K's profile
yuck on the topic (but an important one) and big congrats on the pics. that first one is really awesome.
view loislane's profile
Sarahrae, you took the words right out of my mouth.
worm jerks, indeed!
view Seaside's profile
I have really fond memories of walking around the yard with my dad, picking bag worms and stomping them. To this day if I see a bag worm I will pick it and stomp it. Doesn't come up so often in my Chicago apartment though.
view veej's profile