BeneficialEastern tent caterpillar
Bt for tent caterpillars
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki · microbial insecticide
Against eastern tent caterpillar
Tent caterpillars leave the tent to feed on the surrounding leaves, so Btk on that foliage reaches them where a contact spray aimed at the tent does not. The window is short. They feed for only four to six weeks, and the University of Kentucky warns that insecticides are generally ineffective against mature larvae. A tent within reach is simpler to pull out by hand.
RateLabel rate — 4 tsp per gallon of water on shade trees and ornamentals (Thuricide lists 2–4 tsp per gallon for tent caterpillar on apples)
TimingEarly spring as the new tents appear, while the caterpillars are small — March in Kentucky
macro · bt (kurstaki) on eastern tent caterpillar
The pestEastern tent caterpillarMalacosoma americanumDense silk tents in branch forks in spring; leaves stripped around themFull pest profile →Before you order
A bacterium sprayed on leaves. Caterpillars that eat it stop feeding and die within a few days. It works only on the larvae of moths and butterflies, and has little or no effect on bees, lady beetles, lacewings or parasitic wasps. How it works, how to tell it has established and the supplier list are on the full Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki profile.
Other controls for eastern tent caterpillar
- Braconid waspsWild parasitoid · wild, attract it