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Natural Remedies for Tent Caterpillars or Armyworms

6/1/2018

1 Comment

 
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
©Nannette Richford
Whether you call them tent caterpillars or armyworms, these insect larvae can become a nuisance in home gardens and backyards. The nests appear in the spring and are filled with hundreds of tiny caterpillars. The caterpillars venture out of the nest to feed on the tree's leaves during early morning or late evening and return to the nest during the heat of the day.

These caterpillars are Eastern Tent Caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum) and can be found throughout the eastern part of the U.S., including Maine.  They are often referred to as armyworms, but this technically isn't true. According to Merriam Webster, armyworms can be any number of insects larvae that travel in groups and devour crops. Armyworms may devour your garden, but the Eastern Tent Caterpillar typically eats the foliage of the host tree.

​According to the University of Kentucky Entomology Department, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar nest increases in size for 4 to 6 weeks before the caterpillars leave the nest for good in search of a place to spin a cocoon and morph into small reddish-brown moths.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
©Nannette Richford
While they do not always pose a problem for homeowners, there is a bumper crop of them them every few years. When this happens, they can defoliate  host trees and can be found crawling on lawns, decks and even in the pool, making them a nuisance. Getting rid of them can be a challenge once they have left the nest.

Natural Methods for Getting Rid of Tent Caterpillars

                                   Physical Removal

Sometimes the easiest method of getting rid of tent caterpillars or armyworms is to physically remove the nest. If you catch them early when the caterpillars and nests are small, physical removal is easy.

  • Cut the branch that contains the nest from the tree and dispose of it away from your yard. You can also enclose the nest (after cutting it from the tree) in a garbage bag, seal it  and dispose of it in the trash.​
If physical removal isn't practical or feasible there are other environmentally friendly options., 

       Organic Pesticide Recipes - White Oil Spray

There are several variations of the oil and soap mixture as a natural pesticide. These formulas work because the soap helps the oil stick to the insect's body and blocks its breathing pores. It is unclear how cayenne pepper or ground cinnamon increases the effectiveness. While some sources claim you must use a true soap and avoid dish detergents that contain degreasers, others report success with Dawn Dish Detergent.
​
  1. ​​Mix 1 cup of canola (or other vegetable oil) oil, 1/4 cup of Dawn Dish Detergent, and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper (or ground cinnamon).
  2. Shake it up until it is well blended. The mixture will turn white.
  3. To use, mix one tablespoon of the concentrate to one quart of water,
  4. Fill a spray bottle or sprayer with the mixture.
  5. Spray the entire nest with the solution until it is saturated.

Avoid spraying when the temperature is above 90 degrees as it may cause foliage to burn.
1 Comment
John Hartnagle
8/29/2021 07:22:21 pm

They killed my entire lawn should I spray before reseeding or after the grass gets established

Reply



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    For more nature photography, check out my photography site.
Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



Photo used under Creative Commons from MyArtfulLife
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
        • Turnips vs Rutabagas
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables