Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Pests

Thick Webbing on Live Oak: Bark Lice (Psocids), Beneficial

Silvery webbing on live oak trunk/branches in Houston = bark lice (psocids/tree cattle). They feed on lichens, fungi, dead matter—don't harm tree. Webbing is protective. Populations peak in fall. No control needed. Hose off if unsightly. Insecticides for other pests suppress them.

Pests: Silky Webbing on Oak Tree: Harmless Bark Lice (Psocids); Tree Webbing Without Leaf Damage: Harmless Bark Lice (Psocids); Fall Webworms in Your Tree: Web Removal and When to Spray; Spider Webs in Colorado Apartment: Funnel-Web Spiders, Not Cocoons; Live Oak Galls & Webbing: Wasps & Bark Lice; Pomegranate Tree Webs and Bud Drop: Spider Mites or Normal Pollination?; Massive Webbing in Tree: Tent Caterpillars, Not Spiders; Spider Mites on Poplar: Charcoal Dust Look, Weak Miticides; Tree Cattle (Psocids): Harmless Bark Cleaners; Oak Bark Lice: Beneficial Cleanup Crews

Garden Articles

Fall Webworm on Oak: Limited Control, Tree Will Recover

Fall Webworms in Trees: Cosmetic, Manageable

Fine Webbing on Tree Trunks: Bark Lice (Psocids) Are Harmless

Tree Covered in Silk Webs in Scotland: Spindle Ermine Moth

Pecan Webworms: Trunk Treatment for Tall Trees

Hummingbirds & Spiderwebs: Nest Material & Safety

Identifying the Nursery Web Spider

Plants

Webbing and Black Eggs on Rosemary: Insect Identification Needed

Bark Lice Webbing on Oak Trees: Harmless but Startling

Pin Oak Webs: Fall Webworm, Not Spiders—No Treatment Needed

Bark Lice on Oak Trees: Harmless Webbing

Oak Trunk Webbing: Harmless Bark Lice

Banana Plant Pest Issues: Spider Mites, Scale, and Indoor Stress

Spider Mites on Money Tree (Pachira): Identification and Treatment