web worms
does anyone know a non-toxic way to kill web worms? (non-toxic to things other than the worms, that is.) last year i didn't realize what nasty little things they were, and they nearly stripped the bark from one of my tree's main limbs. (i think they killed the far end of a few large branches.) this year i won't have that, but i'd prefer not to
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Fall webworms are the larva (caterpillar) of a moth. Their silk like nests typically cover the ends of branches. They live inside these webed nests; when they consume all the leaves inside their nest, they expand the nest over new leaves. You can control Fall Webworm by:
1) Prune out the smaller nests and destroy or discard.
2) Tear holes in their web. This allows natural predators like birds to access the webworms.
3) Since this is a caterpillar, the natural & organic bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is quite safe & effective if applied to the leaves when larva are small. It is always best to apply Bt in the late afternoon as this product is sensitive to the sun.
4) Contact pesticides like carbaryl (Sevin) can be effective.
5) Systemic pesticides like Ortho Systemic Insect Killer can also be effective.
Always read & follow label instructions when purchasing or using pesticides.
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