Question
I saw your answer about the black bugs that eat willow tree leaves as the situation you described is exactly what is occurring to my tree right now. The bugs have eaten nearly all of the leaves, which are quickly littering my yard, and leaving nothing left. I had a few follow-up questions. The first is about the product(s) you said to use to get rid of them. Where can that be purchased, i.e. at a specialty store or any home improvement/garden care store? Second, will the tree survive even if they eat the leaves this year? Third, do I only spray the tree with the product, or is there something that needs to go on my lawn (bermuda) to kill them while they are hibernating? Fourth, is there anything that can be done in the fall and winter to deter the bugs, or just apply the product in June? Thank you for your help! I had no idea what was going on and thought I was going to lose my tree.

Answer
Laura:

It is best to the insect ID'd correctly. This will be useful to select the most appropriate insecticide. Collect a few of these critters in a small jar or plastic pill bottle and carry to your garden center or nursery OR your local county Extension office.

Bayer Advanced Garden Insect Control for Roses, Trees and Shrubs may be a good possibility.  It contains the active ingredient called Imidiachlorpid and can be prepared with water and applied to the soil under the tree.  It comes as a liquid concentrate in a blue plastic bottle.  Be sure to read the label. If you want to go with this, best to wait until spring before leaves come out.  For this winter, go ahead and rake up the fallen leaves and twigs then burn if your community allows this practice- if not, bag up and put on the street for the garbage collector.  Many of the leaf insects can remain on dead leaves and twigs. Good sanitation before spring gets here is helpful.  Also, many insects are cyclic- that is they are worse some years than others.

Steve