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About the nursery |
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My trees are covered with webs and little green worms in the Spring, what is going on? We hadn't seen this in a while, but apparently 2005 was a banner year for the Oak Leaf Roller (Archips semiferana) and the Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) which hatched in huge numbers in the Hill Country and covered Live Oak trees and other plants with silky white webbing. The webs supported black-headed, green caterpillars that fed on foilage and and encapsulated flower stalks like colorful mummies. You may have noticed them rappeling from the trees on silky strands, landing on any passersby and even pets. The tent caterpillars did their part by devouring any oak leaves that may have been missed. Both pests have appeared in such numbers that even our chickens grew tired of eating them when they fell to the ground. These creepy critters aren't as destructive as Gypsy Moth caterpillars that strip the foilage from East Coast forests, but are still a real pain. They can be controlled organically with Bt spray, or just be left to run their course. Ugh! They rarely appear in such abundance, but Dan said that 2006 could be even worse, as they usually run two consecutive Springs before disappearing for another 15 or so years. |
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