"Travis M." wrote:

"sherwindu" wrote in message

Just had another idea. There is a product called Tanglefoot
which
you can spread
around the trunks in a band. The caterpillars who try and
climb up
the tree to lay their eggs will get stuck in it. If you have
young
or thin bark trees, you might want to
apply the tanglefoot to a closely wrapped band. Won't help you
this year, but possibly the next. This method also works for
other
critters that climb up your trees to lay eggs like codling
moth,
procession caterpillars, and ants. . Controlling ants reduces
scale, aphids and mealy bug problems, as the ants protect these
pests.

Sherwin D.

wrote:

I've had an orchard for four years. This year, the tent
caterpillars have decided they are taking over. Can you tell
me,
besides using BT, what are some other ways to get rid of
these
pests? Should I have sprayed with BT earlier, like before
they
went into pink bud, or can I spray now that they are
blooming?
What would make them come in this year instead of last or the
previous years?

Caterpillars don't lay eggs.

OK, I got confused about the life cycle of these caterpillars. It is the
moths that lay the eggs.
For that case, I might try spraying with dormant oil in the late Winter or
very early
Spring, to smother the eggs. This would require the penetration of the tent
with the sprayer
wand.

For anyone interested in the life cycle of these pests, check the following
web site:

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/ent...rees/ef423.htm

This and other sites recommend a few ways to counter this pest, and I am not
sure why they do not
recommend dormant oil as an alternate treatment. Maybe they feel that
something like BT
is more effective in killing the eggs.

Sherwin D.



--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5