Posted on 04/20/2018 4:56:31 AM PDT by SandRat
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SIERRA VISTA — People walking beneath the sprawling cottonwood trees along the San Pedro River this time of year could get showered by caterpillars.
While the fuzzy little insects are a regular springtime occurrence, milder than usual winter and spring weather has created ideal conditions for a tent caterpillar population explosion, said Bill Cook, horticulture program coordinator for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension out of Greenlee County.
“It would make sense that we’re seeing such a high number of these insects because of reduced winter mortality rates from back-to-back mild winters,” Cook said. “Then add the mild spring, and it creates a perfect storm for the unusually high infestation we’re experiencing.”
Literally hundreds of thousands of caterpillars are covering the trunks and branches of trees at Gray Hawk Nature Center, a research and educational facility located along the San Pedro River between Sierra Vista and Tombstone.
When Laura Ligtenberg’s fifth-grade class from Elfrida Elementary School visited the nature center late last week, tent caterpillars were one of the big educational topics the kids were most excited about. The fuzzy critters even stole the spotlight from Big Guy, Anderson’s 40-year-old rattlesnake that gets most of the attention when youngsters visit Gray Hawk.
“The trees look like they’re wearing soft, living fur coats,” fifth-grader Alexis Collett exclaimed while placing her hands on the moving blanket. “From the base and up the trunk, this tree is covered with them.”
Guided by the nature center’s director, Sandy Anderson, students who visit Gray Hawk learn all about native plants and animals and some of nature’s local wonders. The recent influx of caterpillars was one of the living creatures students studied.
“It’s a great day to be here to see this phenomenon,” Anderson said while leading the students to the cottonwood trees. “Tent caterpillars come out every spring, but in the 26 years that I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen these kinds of numbers.”
Anderson explained how the caterpillars hatch every spring from eggs produced by moths.
“They spin silk tents in cottonwood and willow trees, which serve as shelters,” Anderson said.
Best way we have found to be rid of them is catch the nests before they hatch with a hand held propane torch.
Trump’s Fault.
Eat more caterpillars!
In Central Texas, we have ones I call “paratrooper worms” which are green and dangle from tree limbs. Harmless and easily squishable, they bedevil drivers who seek shade from the springtime sun.
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Best way we have found to be rid of them is catch the nests before they hatch with a hand held propane torch.
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Yep. Was a rite of Spring-time every year back home. Bit of hornet spray and lighter for those up on high...
Lil’ bastards seemed to pop-up EVERYWHERE
I think those are the caterpillars my husband says are good fish bait.
Fuzzie Wuzzies.
Gypsy moth caterpillars. There are ways to fight them. Easy ways.
Mutt: “I’ve got caterpillars in my bush!”
Jeff: “Try putting tinfoil around your ankles.”
Gypsy moths. We had an explosion of these in NY in the mid-80s. They were so many they would just fall out of the trees onto people. You’d step on them all over the place, green ooze. Almost as bad as when the Cicada 17yr run hits.
We took to cutting the branches where the nests were and torching them. Those suckers can get big and juicy.
MAKES CAR OWNERS & GOLFERS GLAD ELEPHANTS DON’T BEHAVE LIKE THIS.
Bears love them.
THe latest hyperventilating and making a big deal out of nothing.
These things were a major pest in the northeast 20+ years ago, and they have receded as the environment has dealt with them.
Same with all of the stuff, Quagga and Zebra Mussels, are now part of the ecosystem. They peak and crash then resume in an equilibrium with the environment that includes them.
This too will passs. While it may be ugly for a few years things will get back to normal
MAKES YOU GLAD ELEPHANTS DON’T FLY!
Raise your hand if as a kid you and your friends used to squirt lighter fluid on the tent then set it on fire. :-)
I remember my grandpa doing just that 50 years ago. Every year. The bugs are still here.
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