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Ugly-nest caterpillars spotted throughout the MD of Bonnyville

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Ugly-nest caterpillars were spotted in the County of Two Hills earlier this summer. Now, they have been confirmed in the MD of Bonnyville.

BONNYVILLE - They may not be pretty, but they mean no harm.

Ugly-nest caterpillars have pitched their tents in trees throughout the MD of Bonnyville, and while they might not be aesthetically pleasing, Manager of Agricultural Services for the MD of Bonnyville, Janice Boden, said residents can take comfort in knowing the little creepy crawlers are harmless. 

“They’re not going to do any damage, they’re just really unpleasant to look at," Boden said.

Archips cerasivorana, more commonly known as ugly-nest caterpillars, are native to Canada and are named after their nest-forming behaviours. 

According to Boden, the caterpillars tend to build their homes in deciduous trees including chokecherries, black cherries, roses, and hawthorns.

"If it’s a bigger infestation (they'll affect) aspen, poplar, and birch,” detailed Boden.

She added, “It’s a natural thing... It’s Mother Nature’s way of thinning out the trees so the little trees can grow." 

The caterpillars have natural predators, such as parasitic wasps, that will come in and "take care of them," Boden noted.

"They’re just natural enemies to these guys. (The caterpillars) are not strong enough to become numbers like tent caterpillars."

For residents who really don't like the look of the bugs and their nests, they can remove and burn them. 

Ugly-nest caterpillars are easy to identify, Boden said. Aside from their nests, which bind the leaves of their host plant together, their larvae are fairly distinct. 

“They’re larvae are green, almost a lime green to a yellow, but they have a black head,” described Boden. 

The insects are being found throughout the MD, including areas in Cherry Grove and Moose Lake. 

Unlike tent caterpillars, these crawlers are more unpredictable in terms of when they will make an appearance. 

Boden explained, “They’re not typical like tent caterpillars – we might have them for a couple of years and then we might not have them for three or four and then they might come back. Then we might not see them for 10. There’s no real schedule with these ones like there is with the tent."

She stressed that while their nests are more on the ugly-side, the caterpillars themselves are harmless to people and the plants they're living on. 

“They’re not going to strip our trees like the tents did. They're going to hit a few trees in a few areas, they’re going to do their thing and then they’re just going to go away." 

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