Woodland Health: Back so soon?

摘要

Got the blues again? Although it seems like the last outbreak justended, forest tent caterpillar populations are on the rise across the Northeast. In fact, the last outbreak ended in 2006 for most afflicted areas of northern New York (2011 for the Southern Tier) and after 12 years, we were due for another population upswing. Going back into the 1880's, outbreaks have occurred about once a decade in New York with a few longer absences interspersed in the historical record. People have short memories though, and the sight of defoliated forests and millions of the hungry distinctive bluish caterpillars crawling everywhere always elicits great concern.