cant they just be cut down.. and removed for the season???

ken

Seems like cutting the plants down would weaken them more, and far more than leaving the half-chewed remains, no? The plants are still growing; we don't normally have frosts until late November here.

The BtK may or may not work depending on the age of the larva making those webs. The black stuff you see is frass (insect poop) since larva do not lay eggs.

Where in the world are you? Location may give a clue as to the insect.

Lewes, DE, about 3 blocks from the DE bay, a mile from the ocean. No one on a southern Delaware F/B gardening group I'm in has ever seen anything like it (except tree webworms, of course).

Have you asked the people at your local University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Office about what this might be?

http://extension.udel.edu/

Not yet... have been to them previously for soil testing. Will see what they say. If they want a sample, well, let's just say it's been last couple weeks of high tourist season here and we try to stay off the road until this coming week!