Question
Look like tent caterpillars, but no tents hundreds on one tree. 1-1/8" long. Any home remedies? Have sprayed chemical once %26 tried soap suds> Any other home remedies. In city on 2- maple trees??

Answer
Hard to say what this is without a picture because there are many different caterpillars that feed on maple leaves. However, for trees that are otherwise healthy, moderate defoliation (leaf loss) won't cause any long-term harm. The best thing may be to give the trees and little extra water and fertilizer. There are also bacterial insecticides called Bt that work on most caterpillars if treated when the larvae are small. Ask your nursery store about "Bt for moth larvae", there are no effective home remedies except water and fertilizer.

Jack DeAngelis
http://www.livingwithbugs.com