05/27/2026
TENT CATERPILLAR ATTACKS OUR AREA!
HERES WHAT YOU CAN DO BELOW
To effectively get rid of tent caterpillars, manually remove or prune out the nests when the larvae are resting inside them, or spray the colonies with an organic mixture of dish soap and water. For severe infestations, apply a natural biological pesticide like Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) while the caterpillars are young.
The most effective and manageable strategies for controlling them in your trees include:
1. Manual Removal (Best for Spring)
Timing is everything: Caterpillars leave their tents to feed but return to them at night, on cloudy or rainy days, and during cool weather. Always target them during these times so they are trapped inside.
Pruning: Cut off the infested twigs or branches with a pruner.
Scraping: If the tent is on a main branch you can't prune, use a scraper tool to pull off the entire web and caterpillars.
Disposal: Drop the removed nests and caterpillars directly into a bucket of warm, soapy water to drown them.
2. Soaps and Oils (Organic Spraying)
If the nests are out of reach, use a hose-end or pump sprayer to apply a liquid barrier that smothers them.
The Recipe: Mix 1 gallon of water with 2 tablespoons of organic cold-pressed neem oil (or canola oil) and 2 teaspoons of liquid dish soap. Spray this directly into the webs on a cool or cloudy day.
3. Biological Treatments
The naturally occurring bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.k.) is highly effective against young caterpillar larvae.
When the young caterpillars ingest foliage treated with B.t., they stop feeding and die within 5 days.
It is harmless to humans, pets, and beneficial pollinators like bees.
4. Overwintering Egg Removal (Best for Winter)
To prevent infestations from returning next year, inspect your trees in the fall or winter when leaves have dropped.
Look for shiny, dark brown, saddle-like bands or toffee-colored masses that encircle thin twigs.
Gently scrape off or prune these egg cases and dispose of them in the garbage to eliminate hundreds of future caterpillars before they even hatch.
5. Sticky Tree Bands
If caterpillars are actively migrating up or down a healthy trunk, wrap the trunk (or a burlap strip on the trunk) with duct tape, and smear a sticky barrier like Tanglefoot over the tape. This will catch them as they try to travel.
