Caterpillar outbreak hits county

Garland County is seeing an outbreak of variable oakleaf caterpillars, but a regional horticulturalist said Friday they should not be a cause for concern if property owners take proper precautions.

The caterpillars characteristically feed on oak leaves, produce droppings that stain sidewalks and can produce sounds similar to rainfall when in sufficient concentrations, according to a news release from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Research and Extension (see related article on Page 4A).

County Extension Agent Allen Bates, a horticulture specialist, said this species of caterpillar, which eventually develops into a moth, is in its second generation

of the year. He said their strong presence in August and September could be considered an outbreak.

“We have caterpillars that will pretty much defoliate a tree to a degree,” he said.

Bates said the caterpillars appear in Garland County every year, but conditions within the county this year are what led to the unusually strong showing.

“The lack of rain and the lack of predation of other insects is one of the things that’s gonna cause the oversupply of these caterpillars,” Bates said.

“We may or may not have them next year to this degree,” he said. “It just kind of depends on the factors that all take place for this to happen.”

Bates said he has received a number of questions as to how to get rid of them. He said spraying the caterpillars is an ineffective measure, as they tend to reside in larger trees.

“If you were to get high enough up to spray, it could end up on your neighbors,” Bates said. “We usually don’t recommend any kind of control.”

Bates said the best way to get rid of the caterpillars once they have fallen from a tree is with a leaf blower or a high-pressure sprayer.

“If you liquefy those droppings, that can stain your deck or your vehicle or whatever,” he said.

Bates warned that anyone who tries to handle the caterpillars could potentially have to deal with phosphoric acid they release when in danger.

Over the long term, Bates said trees should be fertilized at least once a year and properly watered to survive such an outbreak.

“Obviously, keep your trees as healthy as you can,” he said.

Bates said if trees have been taken care of in this way, they will survive the outbreak.

Bates said the outbreak will not necessarily reoccur. He noted a similar outbreak in Arkansas about four years ago, followed by years that were “not as bad.”

“It just kind of depends on the factors that all take place for this to happen,” he said.