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![]() Cool weather delayed hatching this year The caterpillar's spines are hollow and are connected to poison glands Cooler-than-normal temperatures this winter have delayed one of the more unpleasant rites of spring in New Orleans: the dropping of spiny buck moth caterpillars from oak trees throughout the city. But if you thought we might get a year off, think again. Entomologist Steve Sackett says the stinging pests should begin falling in droves in about three weeks. The brown and red winged buck moths -- their scientific name is Hemileuca maia Drury -- emerge from leaf litter in November and mate, with females laying ceramic-like eggs in circular masses on the tips of branches at the top of live and water oaks. The eggs can hatch as early as mid-February, but this year, they hatched several weeks later because of the cold winter, said Sackett with New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board. The larvae that emerge tend to clump together as they eat leaves, growing in stages called "instars," until they become full-fledged caterpillars with deep red heads, purplish bodies and green-and-red spines. At the fourth or fifth instar stage, the insects venture out on their own, eating their way through leaves as they move down the trees in search of a place to burrow. At maturity, the caterpillars are between 1 3/4 inches to 2 1/4 inches long. Parkway Partners, in conjunction with the city's parkways department, has already begun spraying trees on public property, targeting younger, less-colorful versions of the insects before they molt into the more dangerous form of the caterpillar. Executive director Jean Fahr said the caterpillars not only pack a nasty sting, their foraging habits can strip a tree of leaves. "Parkway Partners encourages spraying to help our live oaks thrive at a vulnerable moment," Fahr said. "This is the time when the live oak is producing its food through photosynthesis." The caterpillar's spines are hollow and are connected to poison glands. Contact with the spines can cause a burning sensation and inflammation as painful as a bee sting. The irritation can last several days and can be accompanied by nausea. To treat the stings, remove the spines by placing a strip of adhesive tape over the affected area and stripping it off repeatedly. An ice pack can reduce the stinging sensation, and the area also can be treated with a paste of baking soda and water. Some individuals with a history of hay fever, asthma or other allergies may be more susceptible to the sting and should contact a physician. While the caterpillars tend to congregate mostly in oaks, they've also been found in willows, wild cherry and other deciduous plants. The city's mosquito board has been monitoring buck moths since 1995 in 200 trees located throughout the city, Sackett said. "You might see a whole cluster of 150 caterpillars on one leaf when they first hatch out," he said. While the caterpillars can eat a tree bare of leaves, Sackett said that unless the tree has experienced other stresses, it's likely to survive the attack. "We did a study with the U.S. Forest Service in 1989 and even when the tree was almost totally defoliated, the leaves came back soon after the feeding stopped," he said. "Trees tend to be resourceful as far as healing themselves." The Parkway Partners spraying program is aimed at trees located between sidewalks and streets and other stretches of public land. A homeowner with trees on public land adjacent to their residence can sign up for the program at a cost of $75 per tree by going to the Parkway Partners' Web site at www.parkwaypartnersnola.org/SaveOurTrees.html. Homeowners must hire an exterminator to treat trees on private property |
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