What is this pest on my apple tree?

[PrairieShadow]

Can anyone tell me what this is? The nest appears to be full of some sort of small caterpillar looking creatures. It’s on an upper branch of one of my crab apple trees?

 

[homerj1]

Eastern tent caterpillar

 

[PrairieShadow]

Eastern tent caterpillar

Thanks!

Something that needs dealing with or just let them be?

 

[homerj1]

Thanks!

Something that needs dealing with or just let them be?

They can defoliate a young fruit tree. I don't allow them to exist in my apple trees. Either open up the nest and allow birds to eat them, or better yet soak the nest with insecticide early in the morning when all the caterpillars are still in the webbing. If you're anti insecticide you could use bt which is a naturally occurring bacteria and is considered organic

 

[PrairieShadow]

Thanks Homer.

 

[chummer]

Blow torch also works.

 

[Wild Thing]

Can anyone tell me what this is? The nest appears to be full of some sort of small caterpillar looking creatures. It’s on an upper branch of one of my crab apple trees?

View attachment 43353

I get them every year in my choke cherry trees...









When using BT, use all of it up within 24 hours after you mix it.



Anything with Carbaryl will also kill tent caterpillars.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I also found permethrin kills them as well.

 

[Wild Thing]

I also found permethrin kills them as well.

Wow! You treat em with the expensive stuff! You really need to soak those nests so I give em the cheap stuff. Of course....some folks like going out In style - maybe Tentworms do too

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Wow! You treat em with the expensive stuff! You really need to soak those nests so I give em the cheap stuff. Of course....some folks like going out In style - maybe Tentworms do too

I just always have a spray bottle next to my shop door for ticks. So if and when I find a nest of them, I already have some mixed up, and in a hand spray bottle. A couple squirts on the nest is all it takes.

 

[b116757]

I usually just nip the branch off and burn it if it’s not removing to much of tree.

 

[Tree Spud]

Use malathion to spray the nests. Yoy can also spray the egg casings in the winter.

 

[Barndog56]

I look for the egg sacks when pruning. A Google search will give you images of them. Any I find are pruned off and burned. Then I inspect for the webbed nests right around last frost date, again pruning and burning any I find. I found 2 of each this year, then noticed some leaves were being eaten. Expanded my search outside of the orchard and found a nest on a serviceberry bush. I couldn't cut and remove that one, so mixed up some Seven and sprayed them. I'll continue watching my trees for damage. As the caterpillars get larger they travel farther.