Many homeowners have been calling in the last few weeks asking about a thick webbing that has seemingly enveloped the trunks of their trees overnight. Most likely the culprit is a tiny, brownish insect known as Barklice.

2020年5月21日 · Tree webworms spin their webs at very tip of branches, while Eastern tent caterpillars spin their webs in tree “pockets.” Find a short list of common trees these tree pests feed on and how to proactively prevent them.

The webbing they produce on the trunk and branches is to protect them from environmental conditions and predators. The webbing looks alarming as it spreads on the tree from the ground to the upper branches.

2022年8月25日 · Tree lovers might assume that webs on a tree are a sign that caterpillars such as the eastern tent caterpillar have taken up residence. But what about webs on a tree trunk? Bark louse webbing. Photo courtesy of Evan Anderson. If you come across a tree trunk coated in silk, chances are you’re looking at the work of a bark louse.

2017年6月30日 · Trees are occasionally covered with a mat of cobweb-like material and many homeowners call to express concern when they see the trunk and major limbs of their trees encased in a giant silken web, which is completely harmless to the tree.

2018年9月14日 · Eastern tent caterpillars build the webs located in tree-branch crotches—rather than branch tips—in the spring. Found throughout the Eastern United States, they mostly affect apple, cherry, and crabapple trees, although they can attack other woody plants.

What you are seeing is the webbing of a small insect that feeds on lichens, fungi, pollen and decaying organic matter. This small, harmless insect is called a psocid or webbing barklouse. Its scientific name is Archipsocus nomas. Psocids construct a fine silken web on tree trunks and sometimes on large branches.

Answer: These webs are harmless and are being caused by barklice rather than spiders. Barklice occur on the trunks of a number of trees where they feed on lichens, molds and fungi growing on the bark. Therefore, they may actually be considered to be beneficial insects since they perform the service of cleaning the trunks of trees.

While fall webworms make webs near the ends of limbs, eastern tent caterpillars create tents near the junctions of branches and trunks. Eastern tent caterpillars tend to affect trees in the rose family, like wild cherries, apples, crabapples, and hawthorns.

2019年10月23日 · The webbing can completely envelop the trunk and large branches of a tree seemingly overnight. Its appearance may be associated with long periods of high humidity. Barklice are small soft-bodied insects resembling aphids. Their web provides protection from predators while allowing the insects to feed.