What is webbing and defoliating the shade trees?
Fall webworm caterpillars have been covering shade trees with webs throughout much of Indiana. These caterpillars are fuzzy, with black dots on their backs and can extend to about 1 1/2″ by the time they complete their development. When unchecked, webs can cover an entire tree, and the caterpillars can consume all leaves in the process. To make matters worse, while these caterpillars defoliate trees, they have a nasty habit of dropping massive amounts of black fecal pellets. Fortunately, most trees can survive a single defoliation. Controls are readily available for home and woodlot owners. Effective use of these controls requires a good understanding of the biology of this pest. What is the life cycle of the fall webworm? Fall webworms have two generations each year and feed on a wide variety of shade trees. Wintering in cocoons in sheltered areas, the adult is a white moth that glues large clusters of eggs to the undersides of leaves in June. These eggs are almost always laid on leav
