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Friend or Foe?

pepperpikker

pepperpikker

Should I be worried about this guy and any of his pals that may show up. He didn't seem to be eating any of the leaves as I watched him for about 5 minutes. Most of the time he just sat in one spot but at one point he walked around the plant before settling back in and just sitting there. The plant is a Bhut Jolokia and I am in S. Central Wisconsin if that helps. I know most of the time, caterpillars are not helpful garden insects and need to know if I need to get on top of this from the start.

20110606Peppers002.jpg
 
Yes that's a tent caterpillar alright.

Up here they can be so prolific that they can completely defoliate huge stands of forest.

There have been times that the forests have been so heavily infested with them, that the roads becomes treacherously slippery with their run-over greasy remains.

Luckily, nature has a control that thins out their numbers when populations get too high, and we haven't seen them anywhere near a thick as they used to be.

dvg
 
Yep, I will be in extermination mode when I see any more. DVG: what is the control that nature provides for these things?

I remember about 12 years ago, when I was living in N. Minnesota, they were so bad that you would be driving along and all of a sudden, all the trees would be completely bare like it was still winter. Unbelievable how they could completely defoliate a whole stand of trees. My peppers wouldn't stand a chance.
 
There are various controls that nature has for forest tent caterpillars.

When winter temperatures fall below -40 C/F degrees, the eggs in their overwintered egg cases are more likely to be frozen and destroyed.

Naturally occuring bacteria, especially Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt is very effective at destroying their guts. The kurstaki strain of Bt, better known as BTK, and available at garden centres is probably the number one best way for home owners to protect their trees and shrubs from tent caterpillars.

Also in the wild, there are at least four species of parasitic flies that prey on these caterpillars, as well as various viral diseases that limit their numbers.

Over sixty species of birds, including Baltimore Orioles, Blue Jays, various warblers and Black Capped Chickadees are known to eat these caterpillars.

Frogs and mice also take them as food.

And bears can eat a tremendous amount of tent caterpillars in a 24 hour period.

There are no doubt other predators and parasites that limit tent caterpillar's number in nature, but the above are just a few that i am aware of.

dvg
 
I would love to see a bear chowing down on handfulls of these little varmits! Of to google for a pic or video.....
 
Hmmmmm.... I wonder... if bears like and can eat them... I wonder if they would be edible for humans... give'r a shot... stick that sucker on a bamboo skewer and bbq it to burn off those hairs and crisp it up a bit... toss a little of of Hippy's Nagasav on it and munch it down... :rofl:


dvg said:
<snip>
And bears can eat a tremendous amount of tent caterpillars in a 24 hour period.

There are no doubt other predators and parasites that limit tent caterpillar's number in nature, but the above are just a few that i am aware of.

dvg
Click to expand...
 
Yep, starting to see them all over now. They must love this hot, hot, hot weather we are having up here in Wisconsin. No more on my plants however. I am glad to hear the birds and other critters like to eat them though. I have a nesting pair of Bluebirds that must be in buffet mode right now.
 
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