Question
I have this problem every year and I am losing the beauty of my tree--how & when do I treat the tree for caterpillars?? One of the 2 trees get them really bad--I don't want to lose the pretty leaves and flowers of the tree to BUGS!

Answer
If you are sure it is insect feeding then you can either spray the foliage with an insecticide or use a soil applied insecticides. The spray would be an Insecticide called Orthene. This will be absorbed by the foliage and will kill any insects that are feeding. You will needed to spray the entire tree which maybe a problem if the tree is large.

If the fruit is not to be consumed you can treat the soil with an insecticide called Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control. This is applied around the tree to the soil and the roots will pick the insecticide up and carry it to the leaves and when the insects feed on the leaves they are killed. This will last the whole season, Here is a web link to this product. http://www.bayeradvanced.com/product/Tree-Shrub-Insect-Control/concentrate.html