OT: WTF is up with all the Oakworms?

[aTotal360]

My whole neighborhood is under attack from Oakworms and other various caterpillars/worms. It does seem like they are just eating oak leaves. I'd say 50% of them have turned into moths, but the the rest of them are still doing work. I've managed to knock most of them down with wasp spray (about the only thing that will reach'em).

In my yard they are confined to my only oak. It's well established and probably 25 foot tall. But some of my neighbors have them on their smaller trees (less than 10 foot tall).

Are they something to be concerned about? Any recommendations?

 

[PineGroveBully]

My dad cut some timber last month and a few had got to his big oaks, those things are bad news for NE MS

 

[RocketDawg]

My whole neighborhood is under attack from Oakworms and other various caterpillars/worms. It does seem like they are just eating oak leaves. I'd say 50% of them have turned into moths, but the the rest of them are still doing work. I've managed to knock most of them down with wasp spray (about the only thing that will reach'em).

In my yard they are confined to my only oak. It's well established and probably 25 foot tall. But some of my neighbors have them on their smaller trees (less than 10 foot tall).

Are they something to be concerned about? Any recommendations?

They must be isolated to the Starkville area because I've heard nothing about them being around here. Have you tried calling MSU? I'm sure they have some experts who could help you. Or they should.

 

[PBRME]

My neighborhood has them bad. I sprayed my tree when it was younger and it survived. The neighbors trees that survived are really thin and unhealthy looking. Those things can be destructive.

 

[aTotal360]

Sorry. I'm just north of ATL now.

 

[notoriousD_O_G]

Sorry. I'm just north of ATL now.

Check with GA Extension Service

 

[PineGroveBully]

They are bad in NO MS, north AL, south TN, and GA

 

[Beretta.sixpack]

I have them real bad.....try this.....

my lot is 3 acres and backs up to national forest.....they are caterpillars ......I really didn't know what to spray them with because 7 spray didn't work.....i especially didn't know what to do for taller oak trees....

I was pressure washing my driveway one morning and in a small area crossing between two small oak trees i found about a dozen of them crawling across the driveway....needless to say i killed them all. They are crapping everywhere inside my neighbors pool from an overhanging oak tree too.

We came up with an idea. First went to co-op and bought a couple of different types of concentrated insecticide (Im out of town now so i don't have it in front of me).....We took my 25 gallon ATV sprayer from the deer camp and mixed it up accordingly.....we then took a hose and attached my pressure washer to the ATV sprayer.....tilted the sprayer to keep the pressure....we attached my 6x8 trailer to the ball on my ATV and put the pressure washer on it....we drove around my lot and my neighbors and were able to spray all the trees, some as high as 40 ft tall.....it was redneck as hell, but it worked like a charm.....now my leaves that were gone are starting to come back....I think the worst of the caterpillar season is over, but i do have some damaged trees that look like crap.....wish there was a way to get them to rebloom next year....hope this helps...

 

[biscuit.sixpack]

Spray them with Dale's. That'll kill them

 

[PineGroveBully]

I hear there's an Auburn fan that is good with oaks

 

[HotMop]

Mole Crickets are their natural enemy.

 

[xxxWalkTheDawg]

It's better than pine beetles

When you have a couple hundred acres in pine

 

[Shamoan]

after reading the pack for a few years, im basically an entomologist at this point.

 

[Wizard of bulldogery]

Fish love caterpillars... get a few goldfish put them in a bag and hang them high up in the tree. it will scare the other caterpillars off.

 

[DerHntr]

my lot is 3 acres and backs up to national forest.....they are caterpillars ......I really didn't know what to spray them with because 7 spray didn't work.....i especially didn't know what to do for taller oak trees....

I was pressure washing my driveway one morning and in a small area crossing between two small oak trees i found about a dozen of them crawling across the driveway....needless to say i killed them all. They are crapping everywhere inside my neighbors pool from an overhanging oak tree too.

We came up with an idea. First went to co-op and bought a couple of different types of concentrated insecticide (Im out of town now so i don't have it in front of me).....We took my 25 gallon ATV sprayer from the deer camp and mixed it up accordingly.....we then took a hose and attached my pressure washer to the ATV sprayer.....tilted the sprayer to keep the pressure....we attached my 6x8 trailer to the ball on my ATV and put the pressure washer on it....we drove around my lot and my neighbors and were able to spray all the trees, some as high as 40 ft tall.....it was redneck as hell, but it worked like a charm.....now my leaves that were gone are starting to come back....I think the worst of the caterpillar season is over, but i do have some damaged trees that look like crap.....wish there was a way to get them to rebloom next year....hope this helps...

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