Ground-Level Tactics for High Webworms in Pecan and Sycamore

Too Tall to Spray? Intercept the Caterpillars

When webworms are 20-60 feet up, foliar sprays are impossible. Instead, target the caterpillars as they descend the trunk to pupate.

Tanglefoot bands: Wrap trunk with tape, coat with sticky Tanglefoot. Caterpillars get stuck descending.
Trunk spray with Orthene (acephate): Systemic, longer residual than Sevin. Spray bark from ground to first branches.

Late-season defoliation won’t kill the tree, but it will reduce next year’s pecan crop. These measures protect future yields.

Plant Diseases: Pomegranate Orchard Decline: Root/Trunk Rot from Poor Drainage; Sapsucker Woodpecker Holes in Pecan: Insects Attracted to Sap; Pecan Bark Peeling in Strips: Lightning Strike Suspected; Bagworm Control on Pecan: Tanglefoot and Orthene; Maple Tree Limb Crack with Larvae: Remove Limb, Treat Borers; Pecan Webworms: Trunk Treatment for Tall Trees; Transplanting Pecan Trees: Avoid Potting; Saving an Elm Tree from Borer Infestation; Borers in Young Maple; Lilac Decline; Old Willow Borers: Insecticide + Fertilizer for Recovery

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