Fall Web Worm is here, as of 9/5/18!  We are seeing many cases of this caterpillar encasing various fruit and nut trees, and hydrangea.  They can’t be missed.  Just look up.  You are bound to see the unsightly webs encasing clumps of leaves or branches.  Unlike the Tent Caterpillar, the Web Worm will encase a clump of leaves anywhere along a branch and feed within the webbing.  Some of these webs can get very large!  As the pupae feed and get bigger, eventually the webbing will break, and the caterpillars will fall to the ground.  It is at this time that the pupae will overwinter in bark crevice’s or in leave matter.   In the springtime they will lay their eggs and the process will be repeated.  They can be controlled by physically destroying the webs and the caterpillars within them, or an approved agent sprayed directly onto the webbing.  It is not always possible to destroy all the webs since many of them will be far beyond reach.  That’s when a spray may be necessary.  While they are not pleasant to look at, plant mortality is generally limited and rare.