Re: Re: CULT: mulch

>I do know that ordinarily they appear in the fall and that their hatch 
>does not occure until cooler fall temperatures appear.

Hmm.  Apparently we are discussing different pests, as our army worms 
(also known here as tent caterpillars) hatch in late spring, feed for 2-3 
weeks, pupate for another couple weeks, then hatch out as egg-laying 
moths.  By fall, all that is left are next year's eggs.  The caterpillars 
feed primarily on shrub and tree foliage.

>The most common sources for pine straw collection do not meet the 
>moths criterion as a place to lay eggs.

Our army worm moths seem to lay their eggs on various trees, including, I 
presume, pine.  At least I *assume* they are laying their eggs on the 
trees in the pine plantation rather than in the pine straw itself.  If I 
knew there were no eggs in the straw, it would seem safe enough to gather 
needles either before the eggs had hatched or after the pupae had emerged 
as moths.  I just wish I could be certain those moths weren't also laying 
eggs in the pine straw under those trees.  There's certainly no question 
the straw was alive and crawling with thousands (probably millions) of 
the ugly worms this spring.

Laurie


-----------------
laurief@paulbunyan.net
http://www.geocities.com/lfandjg/
http://www.angelfire.com/mn3/shadowood/irisintro.html
USDA zone 3b, AHS zone 4 - northern MN
clay soil

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