Webs in trees in Pennsylvania

Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
travelling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are as
I've never seen anything like them before.

I was reading in the bathroom when I ran across an item written by
"John W" on Sun, 21 Sep 2003
10:26:27 +0100, which said:

Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
travelling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are as
I've never seen anything like them before.

Tent caterpillars. There's currently a major infestation of them
south of Middlebury, VT.

Not sure of their entomology, but they can destroy a lot of
vegetation. Whenever we get any, I snip off the infested branches and
burn them.

BTW, where are you from? Just curious that someone from this region
has never seen them.


-------------
Beady's 11th Law of Social Harmonics: "Your spouse is precisely the kind of person someone like you would choose to marry."

In article , "John W" wrote:
Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
travelling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are as
I've never seen anything like them before.


I've also heard them called fall webworms. They really are ugly on the tree.
Luckily they do not permanently harm the tree since they appear in the fall
when the tree's leaves are shutting down their production. This year seems
very heavy here in the Lehigh Valley

BTW, where are you from? Just curious that someone from this region
has never seen them.

Thanks for the reply - we were on holiday from the UK and I was really
curious cos I'd never seen anything like them before .... and there were
loads of them.

John Beaderstadt wrote:

Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
travelling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are as
I've never seen anything like them before.


Tent caterpillars. There's currently a major infestation of them
south of Middlebury, VT.


Here in the Puget Sound area, we had a terrible infestation of tent
caterpillars in late May/early June. Apparently this only happens once
every ten years or so, so I had never seen them before (having moved
here seven years ago). Pretty disgusting. I am surprised that Vermont
is having an infestation so late in the year.

On 09/21/2003 5:26 AM John W wrote:

Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
traveling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are as
I've never seen anything like them before.




In the fall they are tent catipillers. Every ten years the catipillers
hold their little tent revivals. If you listen closely you can hear
cries of "Amen" and "Hallelujah!"

If it's in the spring they are Gypsy Moths. At night in the distance
you can see their little camp fires and hear the sound of miniature
violins and tambourines playing gypsy music.

Since both operate on the questionable side of natural law, the one
thing that strikes terror in the little Tent Catipillars and Gypsy Moths
is R A I D! :-D

--
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Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
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Brian K wrote:

On 09/21/2003 5:26 AM John W wrote:

Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
traveling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we
were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they
are as
I've never seen anything like them before.

In the fall they are tent catipillers. Every ten years the catipillers
hold their little tent revivals. If you listen closely you can hear
cries of "Amen" and "Hallelujah!"

If it's in the spring they are Gypsy Moths. At night in the distance
you can see their little camp fires and hear the sound of miniature
violins and tambourines playing gypsy music.

Since both operate on the questionable side of natural law, the one
thing that strikes terror in the little Tent Catipillars and Gypsy Moths
is R A I D! :-D

Of course you have to get it thru the little tents. Not easy when they
are 6 m up in the tree. FFM

Tons of those here in New Hampshire......more than cows....

Kenny

"John W" wrote in message
...
Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
travelling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we
were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are
as
I've never seen anything like them before.

We had the odd tent caterpillar nest (web) in our garden.
Best way is to knock it down into a big paper bag,before they
leave their nest. A little gasoline or alcohol over the bag and a
match will make the little buggers pop like popcorn.
I know some of you nature lovers will be abhorred by this.
But hey it is either them or my cherry harvest.

JTK

"Kenny" wrote in message t...
Tons of those here in New Hampshire......more than cows....

Kenny

"John W" wrote in message
...
Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
travelling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we
were
just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are
as
I've never seen anything like them before.

On 09/22/2003 12:22 PM James T. Kirk wrote:

We had the odd tent caterpillar nest (web) in our garden.
Best way is to knock it down into a big paper bag,before they
leave their nest. A little gasoline or alcohol over the bag and a
match will make the little buggers pop like popcorn.
I know some of you nature lovers will be abhorred by this.
But hey it is either them or my cherry harvest.

JTK

I have a better way. It's in keeping with the great circle of life
too. I have some really, really hungry really, really big spiders who
would look at one of those tents and say: "lunch is served, and it's
wrapped and ready to go!"


"Kenny" wrote in message t...


Tons of those here in New Hampshire......more than cows....

Kenny

"John W" wrote in message
...


Not strictly a travel question but more a question as a result of
travelling... We were driving down the I476 in Pennsylvania (I think we


were


just north of Allentown around the Lehigh Tunnel area) last week and saw
lots of trees with some sort of web stuff in them - some of the "webs"
seemed to have something inside them. They seemed kind of creepy but I'm
sure they were perfectly natural. Does anyone have any idea what they are


as


I've never seen anything like them before.