A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 Messy Worms

HELP !!! I have a problem in my yard. All the trees have spiderwebs hanging down, at the end are little worms, mostly green ones. this had been going on for a week now . Does anyone know what they are & how to control??? Thanks for any suggestions!!

I believe they are tent caterpillars!!! Get them out of the tree, they eat every last leaf on the poor thing!!!! I hate them!! and that's a strong word for me to use!!! HATE THEM!!!! anywho.....the ones that are up, out of reach i wrap an old rag around the end of a pole, I know most of you will be upset by this, but I am very careful when I do it, put a few drops of lighter fluid or something to have a small flame and burn the "tent" out of the higher branches. You don't burn the tree, just get it close to the web and it melts away and the caterpillars drop down and you stomp away!!! They really are devastating to the foliage esp. on a young tree. Anywho... get them out! Yuck! Good luck!

Sounds like bagworm or tent caterpillars, :p You have some options. If they are not too numerous you can tear them out(the ones you can reach) use a broom or something to reach the ones higher, or you can spray with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) Even Bt though will kill some harmless and innocent caterpillars like the giant silk moth, Luna moth and others. You can use a chemical alternative(I don't support the use of chemicals) Sevin or diazanon. The thing to keep in mind though is, although they ARE UGLY look for damage, stunted growth, curled leaves, before you ATTACK !

Thanks Phil & Laura~ & Renee for your help! I have searched thru the trees & cant find any tents or bags, only see lots of brown fuzzy stuff scattered here & there over the trees. the wind blows it down on to the yard. the worms are hanging down from all around the trees! anyway thanks bunches!!!!

Could be inchworms too if you don't see the large bag structures. Inchworms aften silkdown and hang where bagworms stay in the canopy. Bag worms are more often brown and more muted colors too. If they are not doing significant damage I would not treat. Trying to spray trees is tricky business.

AAAAhhhh !!! thank you bug lady, so much! i m thinking the same that its inch worms.was racking my brain, or whats left of it trying to figure out how to spay big trees Keep up the good work!! <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" />

Hi ,
I have the same little green worms. They have blackheads. There are thousands of them. You cant go outside with out them climbing down on you. They are eating everything.They don't move like an inch worm.I recently saw some trying to go underground I think . What will they turn into? We think they are called cut worms. Anyone know anything about them? The brown stuff falling mentioned above is from post oak trees and it is seeds from a post oak. They are all over my post oak and all the trees. I never remember the worms being as bad as they are this year. Last year you saw maybe 50 this year thousands. I will be happy to post a pic if needed. Thanks so much!!

Big article in paper today. The green worms are canker worms. To late to spray. They will be gone in 2 weeks. Thank Goodness. I am tired of picking them out of my hair!!

canker worms are another name for inchworms