Help! Today I discovered a cluster of ants on an Eastern White Pine,
and looking closer, noticed several green caterpillars with brown heads
covering the tip of branches nestled among the new growth. They were
about one-half inch in length. I pulled off all that I saw. Should I
be spraying or has the damage been done? The tree appears healthy
otherwise.

Any suggestions appreciated.

With thanks,

Carol Schroeder
Columbia, MD
Zone 6/7

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Help! Today I discovered a cluster of ants on an Eastern White
Pine,
and looking closer, noticed several green caterpillars with
brown heads
covering the tip of branches nestled among the new growth.
They were
about one-half inch in length. I pulled off all that I saw.
Should I
be spraying or has the damage been done? The tree appears
healthy
otherwise.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Probably the pine sawfly (but could be a webworm). The sawfly is
an exotic pest. There are biological controls, and any pyrethrin
or BT pesticide will control both. They eat the needles, and if
you have removed all the critters that's all you need to do.
Keep an eye out for any critters that come in (you may have a
pine in the neighborhood that's infested) and pick them off.

Your bonsai will recover, so don't worry.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman

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Carol: Army worms. The best cure is to put on a pair of latex gloves, fill
a jar with a few inches of rubbing alcohol, and drop them in, one by one.
Put a cover on the jar
and, in an hour or less, voila!
Best regards,
Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: "Carol Schroeder"
To:
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 4:43 PM
Subject: [IBC] Pine Pests on tips of new growth


Help! Today I discovered a cluster of ants on an Eastern White Pine,
and looking closer, noticed several green caterpillars with brown heads
covering the tip of branches nestled among the new growth. They were
about one-half inch in length. I pulled off all that I saw. Should I
be spraying or has the damage been done? The tree appears healthy
otherwise.

Any suggestions appreciated.

With thanks,

Carol Schroeder
Columbia, MD
Zone 6/7


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****
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++

************************************************** **************************
****
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Carol: Army worms. The best cure is to put on a pair of latex
gloves, fill
a jar with a few inches of rubbing alcohol, and drop them in,
one by one.
Put a cover on the jar
and, in an hour or less, voila!
Best regards,
Marty

Or, save the alcohol.

Drip them on the ground and SMUSH them. ;-)

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
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+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

drip them on the ground and SMUSH them!
It all depends upon how masochistic you feel at the time.
Marty

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I found eggs 2 years ago small black dots by houndreds layd in the groove
behind the needles of a black pine and this is a problem ..
I used some winter oil mixed with a product against larvae and eggs

It was the first time iit happened but it seems that a conony of these pests when
a dult can eat out a whole tree( bonsai) within hours like locusts..
so better prevent in case..
Theo

Carol Schroeder wrote:

Help! Today I discovered a cluster of ants on an Eastern White Pine,
and looking closer, noticed several green caterpillars with brown heads
covering the tip of branches nestled among the new growth. They were
about one-half inch in length. I pulled off all that I saw. Should I
be spraying or has the damage been done? The tree appears healthy
otherwise.

Any suggestions appreciated.

With thanks,

Carol Schroeder
Columbia, MD
Zone 6/7

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

--

* Think like an Alien &discovery your own planet*

Thanks to all for your quick responses on the problem of caterpillars on the
tips of new growth on a pine. The consensus was to remove the caterpillars,
regardless of whether caused by armyworms, sawflies, webworms... which I have
done using the "SMUSH" method suggested by Jim Lewis. (The caterpillars are
small so that simply picking them off the needles probably killed them).
Anyway, I have inspected the pine tips each day since the initial infestation
which yielded about 30 pests, and found only three additional very small
caterpillars each time. Some pine needles have already been damaged and if I
can't keep the caterpillars under control, I will use the BT dust. Thanks
again.

Carol Schroeder
Columbia, MD Zone 6/7

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++

Thanks to all for your quick responses on the problem of caterpillars on the
tips of new growth on a pine. The consensus was to remove the caterpillars,
regardless of whether caused by armyworms, sawflies, webworms... which I have
done using the "SMUSH" method suggested by Jim Lewis. (The caterpillars are
small so that simply picking them off the needles probably killed them).
Anyway, I have inspected the pine tips each day since the initial infestation
which yielded about 30 pests, and found only three additional very small
caterpillars each time. Some pine needles have already been damaged and if I
can't keep the caterpillars under control, I will use the BT dust. Thanks
again.

Carol Schroeder
Columbia, MD Zone 6/7

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Mike Page ++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++