Good, bad or ugly?
With the inevitable return of the Forest Tent Caterpillar (FTC) apparently just beginning, you might ask is this good or bad? Most people would not hesitate to say that the nuisance, mess and dramatic visual effect was just bad. But how about from the perspective of the other plants and animals in the forest ecosystem. Is it good, bad or just plain ugly? As you might expect the answer is, it depends. Some birds and other animals benefit from an outbreak of FTC by using the caterpillars as a food source. Kind of like having a fast food kitchen in your living room. Many species of birds move north in the spring and early summer to raise their young. This is the time when the FTC caterpillars are present. During the time of mating and raising their young, most birds need a diet high in protein and rely heavily on a diet of insects. Adults birds may eat up to of their body weight per day and young birds may eat more than 1/2 of their weight per day. Populations of cuckoos increase during F
