Interesting, you learn something new every day . . .

What I have is clearly tent worms, because they are primarily in my
apple trees. Looks like I can thank my lucky stars they aren't Gypsy Moths!

Do Gypsy Moths make webs in the crotch of tree branches like tent worms do?



Susan E Desjardins wrote:
Having had both tent worms & gypsy moth caterpillars I know there
is a difference between the two. Tent worms swarm in a cobweb like mass
and are usually about 1/2 - 1" long. They usually like crab apple trees
quite a bit. Gypsy moths caterpillars are 1-2" long and climb up the base
of the tree to get at the leaves. They will climb onto a house as
well. They especially like oak trees but will eat any tree in my
yard. Maple, dogwood & oak. We had an epidemic a few years ago in Western
Massachusetts. They were on the roads, lawns & houses. The ground and
road gave the illusion of motion. The method we used to save our trees
was to wrap tin foil around the base of the tree and lather it with
vegetable shortening "crisco". The caterpillars will get stuck in it and
die. The caterpillar eventually evolves into a moth which attaches itself
to a leaf, tree, house etc. and lays its eggs and the process starts all
over again. In order to save the defoliated tree, we bore holes into the
ground and put a hose right down into it and watered, watered &
watered. We managed to save the trees. We did use a Ortho product called
SEVEN during the worst of the epidemic as well. It worked up to a
point. We are surrounded with woods, so the effort was futile. Seven will
work for tent worms as well. Good luck!