Whether they're close to the ground or high up in a tree, this time of year tent worms can be spotted everywhere
Whether they're close to the ground or high up in a tree, this time of year tent worms can be spotted everywhere.
" They've been a nuisance for everybody especially when they're crawling all over the ground and your house, " said local resident Gene King.
The tiny caterpillars have been around since the start of spring, but are now at the point that it's hard to miss them.
" The ones that people are seeing readily nowadays are the Eastern Tent Caterpillars. They stay where their nest is at night and feed on the foliage and they get back in the nest where they're protected, " said Grand Traverse Conservation District's Lew Coulter.
Coulter says people tend to want to get rid of tent worms because they think the tiny creatures will damage their trees and shrubs, but he says that's typically not the case.
" On a smaller shrub they can defoliate the entire shrub and that generally doesn't kill it, but if it has a bad summer and a harsh winter that could kill it. On a larger tree the damage is localized and it isn't going to cause a lot of trouble, " Coulter said.
"To me I think a fire would take care of them, but you can't start a fire to get rid of worms," King said.
Eventually tent worms will go away on their own, but if you decide not to let Mother Nature take its course the conservation district has some tips on how to safely rid tree limbs and shrubs. By this time of year Coulter says the tent worms have developed to a size that milder pesticides will not be effective.
" I encourage folks to use the simplest and safest methods first and that is simply disrupt the nest with a stick and the predators can move in and feed on them," Coulter said.
Coulter says you can also cut off a small tree limb that the nest is on and burn it in a contained area, or simply place it in soapy water.
