Tent caterpillars infesting Vancouver Island
Huge masses of tent caterpillars are being seen among trees and hedges across Vancouver Island.
The native species has large population booms in cycles of about five to seven years, according to the City of Nanaimo.
"This year is looking like an infestation year," said the city in a social media post earlier this month.
Arborist Trevor Coey, with Bartlett Tree Experts, says he's been getting lots of calls about caterpillar infestations ever since the weather started heating up on Vancouver Island.
"There are treatment options out there that are accepted and used under the pesticide bylaw in [many] municipalities," said Coey.
"For a homeowner, a lot of people just choose to prune them out," he said.
"I never recommend burning the nests, especially with how dry it is."
If you have a tree that's been hit particularly hard by tent caterpillars, you can also try giving it extra water, fertilizer, or mulch.
Nanaimo says it generally does not take action during tent caterpillar season, since they are a native species.
However the city says it does intervene and may treat a "nuisance location" if they are impacting a space like a park bench, or if they are damaging a crop or fruit tree.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.