Botanic Garden >> Gardening > >> Question and Answer >> Plant Species >> Trees

Controlling Green Caterpillars on Maple Trees

Pest Identification

The green worms eating leaves to the stem are likely looper caterpillars (geometrids).

Treatment

Spray foliage with Orthene (acephate) when caterpillars are present. This is a contact/stomach insecticide, not a preventive. Apply at first sign of damage. For photos: Forest Pests – Loopers.

Trees: Japanese Maple Honeydew and Sooty Mold: Aphid or Scale Infestation; Maple Cottony Scale Infestation: Large Tree Management Strategy; Maple Leaf Galls: Harmless Insect Structures, No Human Risk; Maple Leaf Scorch from Excess Rain: No Spray Needed This Late; Managing Powdery Mildew and Distorted Growth on Trees; Mystery Giant Caterpillars on Sidewalk Near Trees; Crimson Maple Leaf Scorch After Frost and Drought in Nova Scotia; Maple Leaf Spots in the Catskills: Harmless Cosmetic Issue; Borers in Young Maple; Lilac Decline; Maple Leaf Galls: Harmless, No Treatment Needed

Garden Articles

Black Spot Fungus on Mature Maple: Why Fall Cleanup Beats Spring Spraying

Late-Season Leaf Spots on Mature Maple: Cosmetic, Not Critical

Diagnosing Maple Leaf Scorch: Bacterial vs. Physiological

Japanese Maple Lost All Leaves After Planting: Shock or Deer?

Coral Bark Maple Winter Kill: Scrape Test for Life

Controlling Maple Twig Borer Infestations

Maple Leaf Blister: Cosmetic Concern, Not a Health Threat

Plants

Dolomitic Lime vs. Hydrated Lime for Maple: Not the Same

Identifying a Mystery Tree in South Alabama

Seiryu Japanese Maple: Frost Cracks, Girdling Roots, and Recovery

Japanese Maple Planted Wrong Season: Stop Overwatering

Japanese Maple Leaves Turning Green in Summer

Borers in Maple After Tree-of-Heaven Removal

Reviving a Struggling Maple: Limp Leaves, Rocky Soil, and Fertilization