Forest Tent Catapillers! Ugh

[solbes]

They are thick this year up on our property up near Walker. They are the little fuzzy guys with a blue streak. Crawling all over guests, some even landing on us below the trees. Maybe the 2nd outbreak I can remember since we bought 8 years ago. Anyone else seeing tons of these guys?

I suppose they will eat some leaves, hopefully they will not do any serious long term damage.

[SpecialK]

Seeing alot of them west of Hinckley as well. The were all over the boat cover on Friday when I took it off and then I started seeing them everywhere. If you set something down for 5 seconds they were on it.

[suncruiser234]

They were thick in the Mille Lacs area as well. You should have seen the fish schooled under the trees waiting for a tasty morsel.

[pike79]

I have been told there is a difference between tent worms and army worms. The tent worms have a nest on the tree. I have been spraying them with a spray for fruit trees and it has taken care of them all.

[fischer69]

I have been told there is a difference between tent worms and army worms. The tent worms have a nest on the tree. I have been spraying them with a spray for fruit trees and it has taken care of them all.

Not sure if their is a difference but I know I have the army caterpillars. I tell my kids that anytime they see them, to squash them

[SpecialK]

The GF calls these army worms or tent catepillars. I thought they were one and the same. I'll upload a picture when I get home.

[Shorelunch]

They are thick this year up on our property up near Walker. They are the little fuzzy guys with a blue streak. Crawling all over guests, some even landing on us below the trees. Maybe the 2nd outbreak I can remember since we bought 8 years ago. Anyone else seeing tons of these guys?

I suppose they will eat some leaves, hopefully they will not do any serious long term damage.

These things generally appear every ten years or so in full force and sometimes the year before or after in lesser numbers. They eat leaves and then leave cotton-like cocoons that are a major pain to clean up. None in the Bemidji or LOTW area . . . yet.

[solbes]

Shore, I would be surprised if they don't show up in Bemidji in the next week or so. We're only 40 miles away from you.

The situation reminds me of all of the Gopher hockey fans that came out of the woodwork this year They were in hiding for the past 10 years, save a couple vocal few here.

[SpecialK]

Here is the picture I promised earlier

[reinhard1]

their tents where all over the place in this area this year in this area. good luck.

[SkunkedAgain]

[uofM Extension]The forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria, occurs throughout most of the United States and Canada wherever hardwood trees are found. It periodically infests aspen and many other tree species over large areas of northern Minnesota. The caterpillars are commonly, but mistakenly, called 'armyworms'. Groups of these caterpillars can defoliate trees, potentially injuring them. They are often considered a nuisance when they are found around human dwellings or on roads.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg7563.html

[Wikipedia]Tent caterpillars are readily recognized because they are social, colorful, diurnal and build conspicuous silk tents in the branches of host trees. Some species, such as the eastern tent caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum, build a single large tent which is typically occupied through the whole of the larval stage, while others build a series of small tents that are sequentially abandoned. Whereas tent caterpillars make their tents in the nodes and branches of a tree's limbs, webworms enclose leaves and small branches at the ends of the limbs.

(Eastern Tent Caterpillar cocoon)

[Wikipedia]Army caterpillars look like tent caterpillars but their coccoons are different, single.

[Wikipedia]The Fall Army Worm's diet consists mainly of grasses and small grain crops. An infestation is hard to detect as the caterpillars migrate to new feeding areas in the cool of the night. When the caterpillars near maturity, they can lay waste to an entire crop in a few days. Its name is derived from its feeding habits. They will eat everything in an area and once the food supply is exhausted the entire "army" will move to the next available food source.

[pike79]

Thanks for the info SkunkedAgain.

[otterman91105]

Was up north by Perham this weekend and they are all over everthing. Even inside the car made the mistake of leaveing the window down for a while.

[JayinMN]

They make great wine!

[titelines]

Have a ton in Knife River. Was having a BBQ/Happy Hour Saturday and you could hear these things falling out of the trees. Sounded like little acorns hitting the ground. Didn't have one fall into my drink, my hair or the grill, so I wasn't too concerned Tons of aspen on our property and I can't imagine doing anything to alleviate them without an airplane.

[SkunkedAgain]

I thought that we'd have them up on Vermilion but I never saw one. Hopefully they stay south!