This was right outside my kitchen window tonight when I went to prepare supper...it took a little while to get my appetite back! Ummm, yummy!
I'm not sure exactly what they are called, but they are the worms that make the web "bags" in the trees. I think they are web worms? Each year they hatch out in a clump like this. They are usually black and we have seen some of those this year, but we have never seen red ones....
BTW, I had the camera in one hand and the bug spray in the other...incinerated!!!!!
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
I usually find one or two and start a fire in the fire pit and then grab a stick and bag the whole lot of them in the webbing and burn the s&ckers! Doesn't bother in the least bit to do this.
Although I do let baby mice live when I find a nest!
Spider, glad to know what they are called. Usually the ones we get are black, and we have already had some of those hatch out...apparently as they are everywhere, but this batch was red? Any thoughts?
Wish, I would love to burn them, too. Most of mine are too high up in the trees to reach. I do spray them with a sprayer with a long range....
One year we had these caterpillars that wrapped the tree trunks in webs as they ascended. We came home from work one day and it looked like something had wrapped all the walnut trees trunks in a very thin cellophane. Thought we had stepped into the "Twilight Zone." After that they commenced to defoliating the trees and I don't mean maybe. We had to get the extension guy out and he didn't know what they were...had all these little experiements for us to try...forget that! It was like a plague...We got a fogger and fogged them before they took every last leaf. Have never had them again...never did figure out what they were....
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
It works to break their "tent" and apply BT. Works great.
Since we have so much bamboo we just cut a tall one and rip open the tent-a power sprayer will do similar. Then we use an old dust mop with the BT on it to "powder-puff" it.
Depending on the year, we can have a couple of tents to tents having a couple of trees! They sure do detract from the look of the trees!
With so much rain we haven't had any so far this year. I think that moisture makes them sick (scientific term ).
I haven't seen red ones either (or wrapping around trunks). Maybe I'm wrong? I've seen the black ones and the blue grey ones with the bumble bee pattern down their backs. Can you get a coser clear photo of one? There are som caterpillar websites out there I'm sure.
[quote="Spider"]Can you get a coser clear photo of one? quote]
Uuuuhhhh...no. I neucked 'em! But they look and act exactly like the black ones...I hope it helped the overall population to be diminished. However, I looked up in the trees today and there are a number fronds that have been defoliated. I sure hate the way they make the trees look, too! That photo may be clear enough to look them up on the web...ewwwww!
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Spider, I looked at that website and I think that is what we had before! The county extension agent never could identify them.
What we have now, and in previous years are the ones that build websacks on the ends of the branches that encapsulate the whole end of the branch. Then you can see them thru the clear webbing moving around and eating the leaves. Maybe they are called web worms...I'm going to google that...
Thanks for the info!
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Ummm, yummy! 
).
Why did I look?