Here a Webworm, There a Webworm
Posted: June 12, 2024 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: Gulf Coast gardening, webworms 16 Comments
Everywhere a webworm. Webworms have invaded the area and there seems to be more this year than any other year. They are also called tent caterpillars as their webs look like little tents in the trees. The webworms eat leaves but are harmless to humans except for the icky factor. They are everywhere we step and also fall from the roof and trees.
The webworms are on plant leaves, dead leaves, under leaves, covering the porches, in the grass, and on the shrubs. They will last for about six weeks until they turn into moths.
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Oh dear, what a mess. We have caterpillars that weave webs in one or two of our hedgerow shrubs but they stay in their web and don’t bother us. The shrubs usually recover within a few weeks producing new leaves.
They are chewing on lots of leaves, but they should come back.
While annoying, it seems they don’t cause lasting damage to vegetation, thankfully. And they are a primary food source for the imperiled cuckoo bird.
I don’t think we have any cuckoos here, but I saw an anole lizard eat one.
I saw one recently–hadn’t seen any in years. I remember as a child in Corpus, they’d build impressive nests. The thing back then was to burn the nests. EEK! I don’t recall my parents doing that, but I do have memories of neighbors holding long-handled torches to the nests.
Interesting what Eliza mentions, I didn’t know that about the cuckoo. But I do agree, that, except for maybe young plants, these cats don’t really cause serious damage. I wonder if it’s the wetter year that brings them out and about?
They told us to just break the nest apart or spray it apart with a hose. They are eating enough on my plants to just make them look ratty. I can tell you that the wet weather brought mosquitos. When I walk outside I am covered with them and that’s not an exaggeration. I have never seen them that bad.
We traded the salt marsh moth eruption for a fall webworm eruption! Will be interesting to see how that plays out next year with other wildlife, if we have an abundance of birds because there was more food for the young this year and they survived, etc.
Interesting. I did see an anole eat one, so maybe more lizards.
I think I saw one crawling under a shrub yesterday. It’s been interesting to notice that they seem to leave the oaks alone; I’m seeing them mostly in trees like red maple, hackberry, and such. I was afraid they were going to move into the cypress, but even though a few set up shop, they don’t seem to be expanding their territory in those trees.
The ick factor! These used to drive my mother crazy.
My mom hated any kind of caterpillar too. Are you getting the heavy rain?
I think we had about 4 inches yesterday.. not bad compared to 10 further south. The garden is happy.
Four isn’t bad for here either. My family up north are in panic at 3 inches, which is just a thunderstorm here. Our soil absorbed the water quickly.
Well I realized I had left a bucket in the front yard and looked..more like 6 or 7 inches and it just started raining!
And they make the trees, bushes, whatevers, very unhappy.
I just checked and they are doing a number on my shrub in the front.