Caterpillars galore - how to get rid of them? (house, to eat)

[FLtoNC]

I must have hundreds of these things outside, and I am starting a vegetable garden. Should I be worried that they will eat everything? If so, how do I prevent this?

[Native_Son]

Originally Posted by FLtoNC

I must have hundreds of these things outside, and I am starting a vegetable garden. Should I be worried that they will eat everything? If so, how do I prevent this?

probably cankerworms. Your best window is in the fall, and consists of prevention. Search the web for prevention and treatment. I think the best thing right now is Bt.

[NCyank]

I don't know...we have a ton of both eastern and forest tent caterpillars this year. I've been spraying them off the house but they're dropping from the trees and climbing up everything!!



Forest Tent Caterpillar



Eastern Tent Caterpillar

[brokensky]

We have a lot of caterpillars, but not an infestation. I mean - I see them occasionally and in years past, I rarely saw them in our yard. Don't birds eat them? If you attract birds, will they eat the caterpillars? Just a thought . . . don't know if the caterpillars are too big now for birds to eat (?)

[CouponJack]

They are all over our driveway for the past 2 days.....hundreds of them.....

Ive been spraying them w/a diluted bleach mixture....

Not sure why all of a sudden there around??

[NCyank]

From what I've been reading the tent caterpillar outbreaks can be severe in some years. We've only seen a few in the 6+ years we've been here but this year they are everywhere. In one walk around I sprayed 27 caterpillars on the house. I looked up the elm tree at the corner of the house and sprayed 17 just within arms reach. Our lot is heavily wooded so I am fighting a loosing battle.

I think there are some birds that will eat the caterpillars but I guess we don't have those birds here, lol. Perhaps I'll pick a few and drop them in the bird feeder and see what happens.

[chicagocubs]

wouldn't the caterpillers become butterflies?? so, why kill them?

[lowercountry]

You could sell them to the CIA. ;-)

[NCyank]

Originally Posted by chicagocubs

wouldn't the caterpillers become butterflies?? so, why kill them?

Nope, these will become moths and lay hundreds of eggs each. In large numbers tent caterpillars will eat the foliage from trees and shrubs and in large enough numbers over several years can kill trees.

Originally Posted by lowercountry

You could sell them to the CIA. ;-)

I like how you think...out of the box so to speak (although 'in the box' is more accurate in this case).

[FLtoNC]

I don't think my caterpillars are canker worms. They look more like the forest tent caterpillars NCYank posted. They are everywhere - hundreds. Right now they are all around the pots I planted with vegetables, but they are not in them yet...