BDN cites UMaine Extension in article on caterpillar invasion
The Bangor Daily News referenced a University of Maine Cooperative Extension fact sheet in an article about a forest tent caterpillar invasion in Blue Hill. According to “Pest Management Fact Sheet #5022: Forest and Eastern Tent Caterpillars,” the caterpillars’ favorite hosts are oak, poplar, maple and birch trees. The caterpillars mature in June, with adult moths appearing by July 1. Hatching a generation a year, they can denude forests for up to five years, the article states. Higher defoliating populations drop after two years due to weather, parasites and disease, the BDN reported, citing the fact sheet.