Under my beautiful birch tree I find bright green furry worms ?
by
Usha
What is the solution for this, I do not want to loose my tree
usha
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People have seen the caterpillars traveling in grass to get to trees and shrubs. They are voracious. Others have been in woody infested areas and can hear hundreds of them chewing leaves. Because we had a bumper crop of tent caterpillars last year, we will continue to deal with them this summer, too. This overabundance will probably continue for another one to two years, until parasites, scarcity of food, weather, or a combination of these factors control their population. Meanwhile, Hortsense advises these actions:
- Pick out and destroy the foamy-looking, grayish, 1/2" egg cases during the winter. These may be found in bands around twigs or in flattened masses on trunks.
- Several natural parasites and predators help control tent caterpillar populations. Avoid use of broad-spectrum insecticides which kill beneficial insects. Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) is a biological caterpillar killer which can be used, if necessary. However, it also kills the butterfly caterpillars.
- Strip or prune out and destroy nests and caterpillars as soon as noticed. This is best done in early morning or evening, when caterpillars are gathered in the nests.
For more information and a list of chemical agents, see Hortsense.Those Monarch worms or caterpillars destroyed 4 of my Oleander trees that I planted last year They literally ate them until nothing was left of them. I cut them back, and they never did come back. I was talking to the woman at the Nursery, she said Captain Jack will stop them. She said, the Oleander trees are the deadliest poisonous trees in the State of Florida, the worms eat them so the birds don't in turn eat the caterpillars.
Hello Juh,
Without a photo it’s difficult to say.
For your insect ID, I would highly suggest contacting your cooperative extension for a free consultation . These offices are manned by volunteer master gardeners on site there waiting to answer the communities questions that know your local situation quite well.
Master gardeners are required to volunteer back designated hours ( plus continuing education) each year to maintain MG certification -this community outreach and education is their goal. They have a PMG that will help you get rid of the worms if warranted.
There's also email ( submit a photo) Q&A resources that have helped my concerns and questions many times. Consider googling up your local extensions office.
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