Tent Caterpillars in City trees

NEWS RELEASE - Distributed May 30, 2023 2:04 PM

Summary

Residents of Nanaimo are noticing a lot of tent caterpillars in local trees this spring. Here are a few facts about them:

They are native a species and nest in specific species of trees every year. They come in cycles. Most years, they are not much of an issue, but there is an infestation about every five to seven years.
They do not cause significant or lasting damage to a healthy mature tree, so typically City staff does nothing about them except let nature do its thing. Staff may treat if they are in a nuisance location, such as over a busy park bench or to protect the crop from a fruit tree.

If residents have tent caterpillars in their trees, treatment options include:

Removing the nest by cutting out the branches it is located on.
Applying BTK according to manufacturers' instructions (BTK is a biological insecticide and is considered safe for humans and other animals. It works by harming the digestive system of caterpillars.) This can be purchased at any local hardware or gardening centre.

For more information on tent caterpillars, visit the Government of Canada website. http://ow.ly/8hIV50OqAJN

Link to Strategic Plan: Ensuring the health of our local environment.

Key Points

Tent Caterpillars are a native species and are not dangerous to local trees.
Most years, Tent Caterpillars are not much of an issue, but every 7 years or so, there is an infestation of them.

Quotes

"Despite the number of Tent Caterpillars in our local trees this year, they are not dangerous. Staff have been aware of larger numbers this year. As they are a native species and will not harm the overall health of the tree, there is no major concern or urgency to remove them."

Leonard Krog

Mayor

City of Nanaimo

Images

Contact:

Communications

Media Requests

City of Nanaimo

250-754-4251

Media.Requests@nanaimo.ca

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