How to Get Rid of Tent Worms

Tent worms are those little fuzzy catterpillers that turn trees into fuzzy nests. You will often see trees covered in a white threadlike substance that looks similar to a spider web. These insects can harm trees and even kill them, however, normally they will only be around for a year due to the other insects and animals eating them. If you would rather not wait there are ways to rid your trees of the tent worms.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Pesticide
Large Stick
Knife or Saw

Step 1

Spray the infected areas with pesticide. This is the fastest method of ridding your tree of tent worms. The problem with this method is that other insects and animals can ingest the pesticide and die as well, nor are chemical treatments good for trees. Bacillus thuringiensis (or Bt) is a natural insecticide sold at many garden stores.

If you don't want to spray your trees, try one of the methods in Steps 2 and 3.

Step 2

Find a large stick. It does not mater what kind of stick it is as long as it is thick and solid enough to strike and rub against other wood without breaking. Knock the tent worm's nest away from the tree with the stick. This will free the trees from the bugs and all the animals and other insects which feed on the tent worm will be able to gather in and eat the newly grounded insects.

Step 3

Use a saw or knife to cut away small branches of the infested tree. This should only be done if the branches are small. Do not cut down large branches of the tree because you will be doing more harm to the tree and the tent worms will eventually die out anyway.

Tips & Warnings

Remove nests in early morning or late afternoon to destroy the greatest number of tent worms.

Article Written By Greyson Ferguson

Greyson Ferguson is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in film and television. He currently resides in Lansing, Michigan where he works on independent film projects and writes for numerous publications. Ferguson primarily focuses on computer and electronic articles. Greyson produces TheDailyUpbeat.com, focusing on only upbeat news stories with daily updates.

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