The winter moth caterpillars are not that bad in my area this year--far fewer around than in recent years. I am not sure why. I have ignored them this year and have not bothered to spray with Bt and I have not seen much defoliation.

Very little winter moth damage in my yard, for which I thank the blackbirds that I pander to. When I heard them singing in the oaks I figured they were snacking, and I'm looking up now at mostly intact leaves.

I was in Plymouth Center today at the parade stop in the cemetery, and saw a fair amount of defoliation, although it wasn't devastating (lots of great old trees in that cemetery).

Claire

I had less damage in one Maple and about the same in another. I am really sick of the winter moths though. The ground and the plants under the trees are dotted with black dots and the caterpillars are now falling from the trees. I've had a couple of them on my clothes when I come in from the garden.

One of my neighbors tried spraying and it had little effect. I wish there were some cure for these. This year for the first time, I actually have two dead branches on my Maple that are pretty good size. I just wonder how many years the trees can deal with all the defoliation.

from the Southeast Region (Hanson) report:

"Winter moth caterpillars are in 3rd but mainly 4th and 5th instars, and have started to pupate. While observed damage is sporadic, moderate to severe damage to Oak, Norway and sugar maples has been observed in some areas. In other areas, damage appears minimal at this time. In Hanson, the defoliation on the âÂÂtestâ oak, apple and red maple) is extensive. The 2 apple trees and red maple are completely defoliated and look like they were torched. The winter moth caterpillars spun down in such high numbers from the defoliated apple trees, they created a scene similar to a Halloween horror show. The caterpillars were in search of more food. They found it on understory or nearby plants like, Japanese maple, Katsuratree and roses. The caterpillars are quite large now, and can cause damage very quickly. The winter moth frass can be heard (sounding like rain), 24 hours a day, falling from the trees as the insects continue to feed. The frass is covering everything below and is quite noticeable."

Claire