Forest tent caterpillars return to Red Deer, but fret not!

“Forest tent caterpillars feed on several types of trees and shrubs, including aspen poplar, green ash and mayday. Tree defoliation can look concerning, but healthy trees often recover with little permanent damage,” officials share.

“The City is monitoring forest tent caterpillar activity and tree health in parks, natural areas, neighbourhoods and trail systems. Crews may physically remove or squish caterpillars where practical during regular work. At this time, the city is not conducting large-scale pesticide treatment for forest tent caterpillar.”

Residents can help manage caterpillars on their own property by squishing them where practical, scraping caterpillar clusters from tree trunks and branches, and looking for egg bands on small branches in the fall after leaves have dropped, the city adds.

Residents do not need to report individual caterpillars or general sightings.

Contact the city if forest tent caterpillars are creating a safety concern, such as slippery conditions on a public sidewalk, trail or roadway, or if a high-use public area is heavily affected.

For more information, visit reddeer.ca/ForestTentCaterpillar.

by Josh Hall

Forest tent caterpillars return to Red Deer, but fret not!

What's Trending