defoliator

Bagworms on the Move

by N.C. Forest Service | Aug 1, 2018

Everyone expects pinecones to fall to the ground and stay put, so when one encounters a small ‘pinecone’ crawling across the ground, it is often met with surprise! Since when did pinecones have legs!? Fear not: evolution hasn’t taken us that far yet! These ‘crawling pinecones’ are actually leaf-eating insects called bagworms. Not really worms, […]

Season Confusion: Fall webworm making its debut

by N.C. Forest Service | Jun 6, 2018

It may seem early to be talking about fall, but the fall webworm is already beginning to rear its ugly web. Called the fall webworm because the web nests in which it makes its home are highly visible in the fall, the caterpillar is already observable at a smaller scale in the summer months. The […]

DIY Sticky Bands Can Protect Trees from Cankerworms in the Spring

by N.C. Forest Service | Nov 15, 2017

Turkey will be the main course for many North Carolinians next week as we celebrate Thanksgiving. After the kitchen is cleaned up however, there’s no time to rest. Instead, it’s time to worry about another main course which you won’t enjoy: the feast that cankerworms enjoy every spring as they feed on tree leaves. Cankerworms […]

Fall webworm makes big webs, causes little worry

by N.C. Forest Service | Sep 13, 2017

With scarf and pumpkin spice latte season right around the corner, enjoying the outdoors in the cooling weather is becoming more pleasant. It’s also a more pleasant season for the fall webworm, who’s growing appetite is becoming more apparent. Called the fall webworm because most of its activity is seen in the fall, these critters […]

Variable oakleaf caterpillar has big appetite, poses minor threat (unless caterpillar poop bothers you)

by N.C. Forest Service | Jul 26, 2017

This summer, North Carolina has its own “Very Hungry Caterpillar,” a favorite children’s book character known for its large appetite. This caterpillar won’t eat through various fruits, cupcakes and ice cream as it does in the book, though. Rather, this caterpillar is eating through leaves of white oak, red oak, yellow poplar, black gum […]

The black locust tree gets bronze

by N.C. Forest Service | Sep 14, 2016

The Summer Olympics may be over, but there is one more bronze to give out. In parts of western N.C., hillsides covered in black locust trees are turning bronze. Despite the remaining summer temperatures, it looks like early fall color across the landscape. While the thought of early temperatures may bring hope to some, this dramatic […]

Strong as an Oak: Trees should be OK against seasonal pest

by N.C. Forest Service | Aug 17, 2016

Summer is winding down, which means backpacks, No. 2 pencils, and the orangestriped oakworms are back! This native caterpillar is black with orange stripes and has two conspicuous horns near its head. Every year as we head into the last few weeks of summer, it makes itself and its appetite for tree leaves known. They feed […]

Eastern tent caterpillar camps out in NC trees

by N.C. Forest Service | Apr 27, 2016

Over the past several weeks, growing silk tents can be seen adorning many roadside trees, nestled between branches. These aren’t off-season Halloween décor and spiders aren’t the only creatures that create silken structures. The offending organism is much less scary: a caterpillar. The eastern tent caterpillar, to be exact. The eastern tent caterpillar is a […]

It’s a wrap: DIY cankerworm management

by N.C. Forest Service | Nov 18, 2015

Next week, many North Carolinians will be enjoying a turkey feast to celebrate Thanksgiving. Once the tryptophan-induced naps are over, however, it’s time to worry about another feast: the feast that cankerworms enjoy every spring as they feed on deciduous tree leaves. Cankerworms are a nuisance every year in early spring. Not only do they […]

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