Mine will be close behind ... luckily our catalpa trees aren't over our deck, I can only imagine what a mess that makes!

You guys are so lucky. I've been looking at catalpa trees for years but I have never found one catalpa worm.

Lucky is not the first word that comes to mind when I think about the Catalpa worms. lol My tree was about 20' tall before it suffered it's first infestation. Some years there's up to 3 generations of the worms and once in a while it's only one but the average is 2 a year. The tree is completely defoliated with each infestation but has always filled back out, even in years with 3.

If the catalpa tree was away from the deck and not anywhere that I'd be walking under I wouldn't be bothered. It's just so gross having the frass rain down and that's just what it sounds like. I have to hose it off several times a day. It's also really unpleasant having the caterpillars drop down onto your head when walking under the tree. I've considered having the tree removed but it's so pretty, especially in bloom and provides shade for a portion of the greenhouse.

I've never seen them here either. Hope I never do.

Karen

If you really don't like them and you have the only catalpa in the neighborhood, you could use a systemic insecticide on the tree for a couple years. That should take care of your problem. But you could kill a few tiger swallowtail cats in the process.

I'd rather suffer with the caterpillars then use an insecticide. Besides that there's plenty of catalpa trees nearby.