Experts report that Eastern tent caterpillar eggs have begun hatching in Central Kentucky, just as leaf buds are swelling on wild cherry trees. While it is too early to tell what 2011 caterpillar numbers will be, populations have been increasing gradually over the past several years. Controlling Eastern tent caterpillars is vital to area breeding farms, as UK research results have strongly linked the caterpillars with Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) outbreaks, which can cause late-term foal losses, early-term fetal losses, and weak foals.

According to Lee Townsend, PhD, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture entomologist, the newly hatched eggs, which caterpillars laid last June, are easy to identify by the small holes tiny larva chew as they exit. In about two weeks the "tents" should be baseball-sized and easy to spot in trees.

Five newly hatched eastern tent caterpillar eggs

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