Eastern Tent Caterpillar

Perhaps you've noticed what look like big webs on tree branches lately. This is more than likely the Eastern Tent Caterpillar. They will eventually turn into a moth, nothing spectacular, but an interesting animal nonetheless. These guys live in webs made from their silk and my DC Extension Agent expert, Sandy Farber passed along the following:

DC Extension Service have reported that the silk nests of EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR (Malacosoma disstria) in branch forks of cherry, a favored host, are now becoming very evident in Washington, D.C. Nests are rapidly moving past golf ball-size and closing in on baseball-size. The colonies may contain hundreds of hairy caterpillars and their collective image resembles patches of fur/or webbing on twigs and branches. The caterpillars are primarily being found on cherry and crab apple leaves. Many homeowners are surprised that trees can generally withstand the damage; a non-toxic control is simply to prune out the webs or remove them with a stick or a pole. If your trees are heavily infested, you can control them now, while the larvae are young, with a spray application of the microbial insecticide, B.t.(var. kurstaki)

If you do open these things up, have a bucket and gloves. I did this last year with the help of entomologist, Dr. Mike Raupp from the University of Maryland. The caterpillars were in there by the hundreds and they were fascinating and gross at the same time. I imagine that disposing of them in a double garbage bag will do the trick.