Fall Webworm

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The Fall Webworm is a type of adult moth. The larval stage is a caterpillar, and it goes through complete metamorphosis to become a fall webworm.

They are defoliators, causing problems to a number of hardwood trees. It’s important to tackle the issue before it becomes a total infestation in your garden.

The Life Cycle of the Fall Webworm

There is one generation of the fall webworm a year. During the winter, the pupae bury themselves under protective debris or under bark. This helps them to last through any of the harsh elements.

The adults then emerge in June and July before they mate and lay eggs in masses. The eggs are laid on shrubs and trees, and then they hatch into larvae and feed as a group within the area that they produce.

The larvae are an inch long and pale, but they do vary in color. They tend to be covered in long, grey hairs but the bottom of them are orange and black.

When they become adults, they have a satiny-white skin. There may be some black or brown spots.

The Damage They Cause

You’ll find the fall webworm on cottonwood and chokecherry trees in the majority of cases. However, they can appear on more than 100 types of hardwood trees.

The larvae will cause damage to the leaves by chewing on them in the areas they build their tents. However, they don’t do a lot of damage to the plants. It’s when they start to wander that they cause the most damage and become a nuisance.

Tackling the Infestation

You can take care of most infestations through natural enemies. The good news is that they are naturally occurring wherever there are fall webworms in most cases, so you don’t need to do anything special.

You can also pull off the tents from the leaves. You can then destroy them so they don’t have the chance to become adults.

If you do want to use chemicals to tackle an infestation or you find that the natural enemies haven’t taken care of the problem, you can use insecticides. You will need to use the insecticides just after the larvae tent has been constructed. Most insecticides will work. You can also use wetting agents into the tents to kill the larvae and prevent the development of the moths.

SprayTech can help you with any tree insect infestations. Contact us now. Serving Douglas county and surrounding areas.