Sudburians took to social media this week to express their dismay at the sudden explosion of tent caterpillars in their backyards.
Last year was also a bad year for the caterpillars. One resident, Debi Richer, said there were so many in her Vermillion Lake backyard, she had to shovel them off her deck. Check out the very gross video she posted to social media.
Jennifer Babin-Fenske, co-ordinator of EarthCare Sudbury initiatives, studied the tent caterpillar as part of her post-graduate studies.
There's actually two types of tent caterpillars, both native species, she said, speaking to Sudbury.com Friday.
The eastern tent caterpillar, which has a white stripe down its back, resides in a communal cobweb tent, preferring ornamental trees such as apple trees.
The forest tent caterpillar, which has dots on its back, amasses in the crooks of tree branches, and prefers birch and poplar trees.
Babin-Fenske said she's seen both types of tent caterpillars this week, but particularly the forest tent caterpillar.
“Forest tent caterpillars have about a 10-year cycle where you'll see huge outbreaks, and we are in and around the peak of their cycle right now,” she said.
“In Ontario last year, it was quite bad. This year it looks like there might be quite a few of them out there.”
She said young caterpillars hatch in the springtime, just as the leaves are opening.
“Older leaves are too tough for brand new, tiny caterpillars,” Babin-Fenske said. “That's why when we have an early spring, then sometimes the caterpillars don't survive as well. The leaves are too far along for the young caterpillars to eat them.”
Fortunately, it's only a few weeks before the caterpillars spin a cocoon, eventually turning into moths.
Babin-Fenske said it's always “shocking” to see a black mass of caterpillars in a tree.
She said she hopes this year's caterpillar outbreak isn't as bad as one she's heard about that happened in Sudbury the 80s.
“I hear people saying that during a huge outbreak, there were warnings about driving,” Babin-Fenske said. “There were so many, it was making roads slippery.”
Although Babin-Fenske said there's not much you can do about a native species in a natural cycle, you can check out this video Sudbury.com made in 2017 for a few ideas of how to get rid of tent caterpillars.
