07/29/2026
We've started seeing a lot of fall webworms in the last couple of weeks, primarily in chokecherries, apples, and other fruit trees. Fall webworms are caterpillars that protect themselves from predators by creating web "tents" around themselves and feeding on the leaves inside of their web. While they are ugly and can completely strip the leaves off of the area inside of their web, they are rarely harmful to the overall health of the tree. Because of this, there is no need to panic if you see them on your trees. If they are in an area that you can reach you can prune out the branch and dispose of the web away from your trees. You can also just use a stick or pole to tear open the web and let the birds take care of them for you. Birds love these little tasty snacks and will usually find them quickly. They can also be treated with an insecticide labeled for fall webworms, sprayed directly on their web. However, please be aware that spraying a tree with an insecticide or other chemicals during times of high heat can damage your trees more than the insects will. Insecticides sprayed when temperatures exceed 85° can magnify the heat causing burning of the leaves. If you decide you must spray, then you should only do it in the early morning before it starts to heat up to reduce the likelihood of tree damage. You should also take care to only spray the webs and not the whole tree, since the insecticides that target webworms also kill beneficial insects like ladybugs. No matter what, give your trees extra water to help them deal with the stress of any insect attacks and to prevent drought damage. You can reach out to your local Extension Service office for more information about webworms or other tree pests.
