Question
QUESTION: Please help!  I have been invaded by a hundred large fuzzy black caterpillars!  They are eating me out of house and home!  They are crawling up walls, planters, every bush, tree, flower stalk.  How can I get rid of them without harming bushes.  (I am actually hand picking them off for hours on end...)


ANSWER: Madeleine,

I'll need a little more information and a picture if possible of your caterpillar. Where in The US are you located (city, state)? It is very unusual to find large caterpillars at this time of the year (early spring) unless you are in a southern state like Florida or perhaps south Texas.

My first suggestion would be to contact your local Cooperative Extension office and talk with the Master Gardener. They will know what these are. Google "Extension + county name + state name" and you should get a website for your local office.

Jack DeAngelis, PhD
Extension Entomologist (ret.)
author Living with Bugs: http://www.livingwithbus.com/bug_book.html


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QUESTION: Thank you for your response - I will contact our local Cooperative, as you suggested.  I live in Chattanooga, TN and all of my neighbors are experiencing the same problem. We have experienced an early spring - tulips have come and gone, iris are now in full bloom.  I have seen these same caterpillars in Southern California.  They actually seem aggresive when bothered.

ANSWER: Madeleine,

I check around a little and found that the giant leopard moth -- Hypercompe scribonia, spends the winter as a large caterpillar in your area. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Leopard_Moth for some pictures. Notice the red strips on the larva. Any of these hairy caterpillars can cause skin irritation if handled.

Hope this is useful.

Jack DeAngelis



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QUESTION: Thank you for the link.  I found that our caterpillars are the Western Tent Caterpillars (Malacosoma Californicum).  Not quite as forocious looking as the red striped caterpillar... It is overwhelming to consider all of the insects which pose a threat to our gardens, but I will definately be more diligent in my efforts to prevent infestations in the future.  Thank you, again, for your help.

Answer
Madeleine,

Are you sure about this? Tent caterpillars are usually not described as fuzzy and black. They have pretty distinct and colorful markings which differ by species. Also, these caterpillars feed on trees and bushes inside very distinctive silken "tents". Take a look at this page http://www.livingwithbugs.com/tent_cat.html for a picture of the tent. They leave the tents to pupate but they would not be feeding on your garden plants. Last, if you do have a tent caterpillar it is probably the eastern tent caterpillar rather than the western species.

In any event, all of these can be controlled with the microbial insecticide called Bt (one trade name is Dipel).

Jack DeAngelis