Have you ever looked out at your usually normal tree only to find it draped in hundreds or thousands of eerie looking webs? No, you are not going crazy. Chances are your tree has been visited by seasonal bugs. Typically, Eastern tent caterpillars or fall webworms are the cause of web covered trees. When they visit, they spin nets that resemble spider webs. Five Star Tree Services has put together a quick guide on everything you need to know about web-making caterpillars and how to deal with them. Eastern Tent Caterpillars vs. Fall Webworms Both of these pests look similar but there are some differences that set them apart. Eastern tent caterpillars are also called spring webworms. This is mainly because they are often found feeding during the spring seasons, while fall webworms as the name suggest, tend to appear in the autumn months. The webs of the two pests look different from each other. The eastern tent caterpillar webs have a thick texture that looks like cotton, while the fall webworms have webs that more resemble tulle. Both also prefer to reside in different parts of the tree. Eastern tent caterpillars love to hang out where branches connect, called tree pockets. Fall webworms, on the other hand, like to hang out on the tips of branches. Each has a different set of preferred tree species for their meals. Fall webworms like more than 100 different types of trees, but they are most often found on: Black Walnut Trees Hickory Trees Wild Cherry Trees Pecan Trees Sweetgum Trees Persimmon Trees Mulberry Trees Oak Trees Pecan Trees Eastern tent caterpillars also consume many different species of tree, but are most often found on: Apple Trees Crabapple Trees Wild Cherry Trees Ash Trees Maple Trees How to Remove Webworms & Tent Caterpillars Before you start freaking out about your Halloween tree that suddenly decided to appear in the spring or early fall, it is important to note that these bugs won’t harm your tree. They look gross and will eat a large portion of your leaves, but there are no harmful side effects otherwise. With that out of the way, getting rid of the webs is pretty simple. You can just remove them by hand and toss them into a bucket of detergent water to prevent sticking. You can also you the end of a stick or broom if you would prefer to avoid touching the sticky webs. For higher branches, we suggest calling a local arborist for assistance to prevent accidental falls. How to Prevent Webworms & Tent Caterpillar Infestations If you don’t want to deal with these webs at all, you can prevent an infestation in advance. In the winter, check your trees for tent caterpillar eggs. They are usually reddish in colour and a bit shiny. They can be found along the tree branches and scraped off. Fall webworm eggs look like green clumps and can be found on the bottom of leaves in the summertime. If you are unsure, or if you simply don’t want to deal with the problem on your own, Five Star Tree Services can help. Give us a call at (416) 990-3355 to find out more about our Toronto tree removal and tree care services today.