Hi Maryand and Tweeters,
If you want a positive id on your caterpillars I suggest that you take some
into a Master Gardener clinic. The nearest clinics to you are: WalMart, or
is it Lowe's? in East Bremerton and Home Depot in Silverdale, both on
Saturday from 10am-2pm. I know that you work in Seattle so taking specimens
to the Kitsap County Extension office would not be an option for you.
A fellow Kitsap Audubon member, who is a retired forester, and has spent
time on the east coast, has told me that both the Yellow-billed and
Black-billed Cuckoos eat the eastern tent caterpillars. That if one wanted
to see these cuckoos all you had to do was find cherry trees with
caterpillar tents.
As the Northwest is lacking in cuckoo species I was wondering if anyone knew
which birds might eat the western tent caterpillars?

Fay Linger
KAS and Kitsap Co. Master Gardener
flinger at silverlink.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "MaryK" <CelloBird at seanet.com>
To: "Tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 1:58 PM
Subject: TWEETERS: Trees, Caterpillars, and Birds


In my yard are four fruit trees (apple, I think). Unfortunately all four of
them are caterpillar-infested. Some friends have said I need to deal w/the
caterpillars, they'll eat all the leaves/injure or kill the tree. I was
going to ignore them, thinking they'd be good food for the birds. Any
advice appreciated, am in a quandary.

Thanks in advance,
Mary

PS - No idea what kind of caterpillars they are; am assuming tent, but don't
really know.

Mary Klein
Bremerton WA
CelloBird at seanet.com