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Caterpillars: Types of Caterpillars & The Damage They Cause

Resources: Tree Problems

Having caterpillars infest your trees can be a worrying situation for a homeowner. Caterpillars can do lots of damage quickly; however, some types are relatively harmless. The truth is the level of damage your tree will sustain depends on the type of caterpillar, the tree species, and the level of infestation. Luckily, we’ve created a guide of the common caterpillars in the area to help homeowners figure out what type of caterpillar they are dealing with.

Bagworms - CaterpillarsBagworms

Native to the eastern US, bagworms are defoliating caterpillars that create unsightly cone shaped bags. When populations get high, excessive feeding can strip away large quantities of leaves. Infestations of evergreens typically cause long-term damage and can be deadly to the tree if not treated. Deciduous trees on the other had typically fare better than their evergreen counterparts when infested. Deciduous trees won’t sustain as long-term damage and can typically bounce back after infestation.

Susceptible Trees:  arborvitae, fir, hemlock, juniper, pine and spruce, bald cypress, black locust, honey locust, sweetgum and sycamore, boxelder, cotoneaster, maple, elm, buckeye, willow, crabapple, linden, poplar, and many more.

Time of Year: Late Summer

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Yellow spots on leaves/needles
  • 1-1/2” – 2” cone shaped bags hanging from tree branches (seen in late summer).
  • Heavy defoliation

Learn More About Bagworms 


Eastern Tent CaterpillarEastern Tent Caterpillar

These hairy insects, with areas of blue, white, black, and orange, are social species that form communal nests in the branches of trees and shrubs. These communal nests look a lot like spider webs and the caterpillars in them can easily defoliate your trees and bushes.

Susceptible Trees: Maples, willows, poplars, cherry, and crabapple.

Time of Year:  Spring to Midsummer

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Rapid Defoliation
  • Easily spread to other shrubs & trees
  • Silky nests in the crotches of branches (Sometimes referred to as webs or tents)
  • Dark colored larvae visible on the tree and in the nests

Learn More About Eastern Tent Caterpillars


Cankerworm - CaterpillarsCankerworms

Cankerworms are leaf-chewing caterpillars that attack a variety of hardwoods.  Mature, healthy trees may be able to withstand a few years of infestation; however, if you have young, weak, transplanted, or new trees, one infestation of cankerworms can severely damage your tree.

Susceptible Trees: Cankerworms have a wide host range, but prefer elm, apple, dogwood, cherry, a variety of oaks including Willow oak, linden, ash, hickory, hackberry, maple, and beech.

Time of Year:  Spring & Fall

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Small holes on leaves
  • Complete defoliation that leaves the leaf veins intact.
  • Limb dieback
  • Loss of Vigor

Need Help With Caterpillars?

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Or Call 703-573-3029


Fall Webworms

These webworms are a native pest of shade trees and shrubs similar to Eastern Tent Caterpillar. Fall Webworm are caterpillars that weave webs in trees & shrubs while feeding on their leaves creating huge eyesores. However, because of the time of year these caterpillars feed, webworms are typically not a health concern.

Susceptible Trees: Fall webworms target almost all shade, fruit, and ornamental trees except conifers. In the United States, about 90 species of trees are regularly affected. The most susceptible in our area include hickory, walnut, elm, birch, cherry, redbud, willow, oak, mulberry, crabapple and some maples.

Time Of Year: Late Summer & Fall

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Webs constructed around leaves at the end of branches
  • Hundreds of larvae, excrement, and dried leaf fragments will be in the webs
  • Defoliation
  • Young larvae are pale yellow with two rows of black marks along their body
  • When fully grown, they are covered in white hairs that originate from black and orange spots

Learn More About Fall Webworms


Orange Stripped Oakworm - CaterpillarsOak Tree Caterpillar / Orange Stripped Oakworm

The Orange Stripped Oakworm is a type of caterpillar that is typically found on oak trees. Groups of these skeletonizers devour oak leaves, only leaving behind the veins of the leaf.  In heavy infestations, this oak tree caterpillar can completely defoliate a tree by summer.

Susceptible Trees: Oak trees

Time Of Year: Spring

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Defoliation
  • Black caterpillars with orange stripes on tree (mature oakworms)
  • Small, yellow-green caterpillars on tree (young oakworms)

Sawflies - CaterpillarsSawflies

Sawflies aren’t technically caterpillars, but their larvae do look like caterpillars.   If Sawfly infestations are left untreated they will rapidly defoliate many species of trees. Early intervention is key to keep your trees and shrubs from becoming Sawfly victims. Keep an eye out for the warning signs below.

Susceptible Trees: Spruces, Cedars, and Pine trees 

Time Of Year: Spring & Summer

Signs & Symptoms:

  • Holes or papery spots along leaf midribs
  • Skeletonized leaves
  • Needles may appear brown and wilted
  • Complete defoliation or sparse, patchy, missing foliage
  • Caterpillar looking larvae on your trees and shrubs (typically in clusters)
  • Stunted tree growth

Learn More About Sawflies

If you are having issues with caterpillars book an appointment with one of our certified arborists or give us a call at 703.573.3029.

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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