Oak Tree Caterpillars
Be on the look-out for oak tree caterpillars in your oak trees. They cluster together in large groups feeding on the leaves of your trees or you may notice poop under your tree (on your patio or walk.) They can be killed with Thuricide sprayed onto the leaves or with Spinosad. If your trees are too large to spray or you just don’t want to, they will not kill your trees. The tree will leaf back out in the Spring. I have had customers say that early in the mornings they could hear them chewing the hard oak leaves. Crunch, Crunch, Crunch!
-DeAnna
Brenda says
Just sprayed thuricide on all my oak trees for caterpillars. They r everywhere. How long I’ll it take to kill them. First used dawn soap with water and it killed them but next day back. Then sprayed with thuricide. Anything else I need to do. Everywhere. Please help
James Gill says
Thuricide is the safest product to apply while caterpillars are feeding. They will stop feeding soon after ingesting. It will not harm you, or lizards, or birds that may feed on the caterpillars. But once the caterpillars have finished feeding and are moving to a sheltered spot to build their cocoon, Thuricide is not effective, as they must eat it. We have several pythroids that are appropriate for spraying walls, overhangs, tables and chairs, pots, etc to kill the migrating caterpillars.
Vicky Lackey says
The droppings are disgusting and if it rains on them they stain my patio! I blow my patio off several times a day to keep the droppings under control. The caterpillars are dropping on the patio also, every morning my patio is full of those disgusting worms!!! how long do they last??