Oakworms
-Folsom, California
There are many insects that attack California Oak Trees and the California oakmoth (oakworm) is probably the most important in our area. Nearly all species of Western Oaks are subject to attack by these pests.
Infestations of oakworms can cause severe damage by defoliation which strips the leaves and causes them to drop. Tree foliage may appear sparse, turning gray as the dead leaves and chewed-away flora make the branches more noticeable than normal. Trees are seldom killed, but the landscape and shade producing value of the trees are markedly reduced. However, trees that are already under strain from drought or other factors may decline if defoliated.
But In addition to an unsightly appearance, falling oakworms, the silken threads they suspend on and the excrement they continuously produce will often contaminate homes, patios, pools and hot tubs beneath infested trees. Once the worms have extensively defoliated an oak, they may drop from the tree on silken webs and crawl away, seeking a new supply of food growing nearby. They may feed temporarily on non-oak species, sometimes extensively chewing and defoliating them. And not only can oakworms attack locally, they are also known to move contiguously across acres of oak woodlands. The oakworms may move from defoliated oaks and travel on other surfaces in large numbers, such as across lawns and up walls of buildings. In the process, they sometimes enter homes and form harmless, but annoying, pupae attached to household surfaces such as drapes and walls.
Early Spring is when the oakmoths are gestating in the trees and by the time they hatch out, landscape and tree will have already taken the brunt of the damage.
Although your regular on-going pest control service is designed to prevent insects from entering your home, by taking care of these problems in your oak trees, you will
have much less general pest control problems in your yard as well. Spiders, Moths, Caterpillars and Aphids will all be effectively controlled by this treatment.
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