Forest tent caterpillar population outbreak spreading through Edmonton

Forest tent caterpillars have been seen feasting on trees throughout Edmonton this year.

An outbreak of this magnitude for this species hasn’t been seen by local scientists since the late 1980s.

“Once they’ve finished off one tree, they’ll kind of climb over and find another one, and that’s often when people really start noticing them. The little caterpillars are crawling everywhere. Crawling up buildings, crawling onto cars,” said Mike Jenkins, a senior scientist of pest management for the City of Edmonton.

Outbreaks happen in different areas of the prairies every summer.

The caterpillar loves Edmonton’s poplar trees, as their leaves are delicious for the critters.

This time of year is when you’ll see swarms of tent caterpillars huddled together, but they’ll spread out more as the summer rolls on.

Sure, these caterpillars can send a chill down your spine or make the hair on your arms stand up with their repulsive appearance, but these creatures, for the most part, are harmless. That said, they can become a nuisance if they choose to populate near your home.  

Jenkins says the caterpillars’ natural predators will take care of population control, while others will turn into moths.

If they do start setting up shop at your home or on your car, soap and water will get rid of them quickly.

“It’s mostly an eyesore. They don’t do any damage,” said Jenkins.

If you do find some on your tree, and your tree looks dead, all is not lost, the caterpillars likely just ate all they wanted, and if your tree is healthy, it just needs time to regrow.