Birds, other insects, lizards and even squirrels are known to eat canker worms. In fact, if you see some lose bark on an infested tree, this could be a sign that some predators are having a canker worm buffet.
It would be great if predators could naturally take care of the canker worms for us. The problem: there are so many canker worms that it’s hard to eat them all. This is a natural defense. Like a sardine in the ocean, canker worms survive from predators because there are so many of them.
That’s why we need to help our trees by banding them in the fall. Tree bands prevent the wingless, female version of the canker worms from crawling to the top and laying its eggs. Those eggs become the dangling dangers to runners and pedestrians in the spring.
Around the Charlotte area, the Fiery Searcher Beetle loves to chow-down on canker worms. To enlist these beetles in our war against canker worms, we need to be sure to remove our tree bands, at the right time. Once they’ve prevented the females from laying eggs, remove your tree bands (around the same time as you see them hanging around- late April) so these beetles can help you out.
If you subscribe to the email list, we'll remind you when it's time to remove your tree bands.