82 



POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



caterpillars resting on the outside of the tent-like structure in 

 which they live, and also a twig on which a bunch of eggs is 

 fastened. The habit of this insect is about as follows: The 

 eggs are laid on the smaller twigs of fruit trees in ring-like 

 clusters during the first two weeks in July. Two or three hun- 

 dred eggs are laid in each cluster and they are firmly cemented 

 together. Thes-e hatch out early in the spring just as the leaves 

 open. The young caterpillars soon commence to make a tent 

 by extending sheets of silk web across the nearest forks of the 

 twigs and this tent or nest is enlarged as more room is needed. It 

 has holes in it through which the caterpillars enter and they re- 



treat to the nest 

 at night, in stormy 

 weather and usual- 

 ly when not feed- 

 ing. They gener- 

 ally come out of 

 their nest once in 

 the morning and 

 once in the after- 

 noon to feed. They 

 are very voracious 

 and soon strip the 

 infested tree of 

 its foliage. They 

 change to moths in 

 June and soon com- 

 mence laying eggs. 

 The eggs of the 

 Western Tent cat- 

 erpillar are not 

 laid around the 

 twig but in bunches 

 on the sides of the twigs. 



Remedies. The tents are readily seen. They should be 

 gathered and destroyed early in the season when the worms 

 are within them. The egg masses are also easily seen against 

 a cloudy sky when the trees are leafless, and can be gathered 

 and destroyed in winter or at any time before they hatch. 



Fig. 28. Tent Caterpillar. a. Web 

 house of tent caterpillar much reduced. 

 Caterpillar nearly full size. b. Eggs 

 nearly natural size. c. Moth natural 

 size. 



