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Barklice Reported By Several County Landowners
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CopyMYSTERIOUS WEBS ON TREES
The Wilkinson County Extension Service has received numerous calls over the last couple of weeks concerning strange "webworms" that are building bizarre silken webs on the trunks and limbs of live oak trees. To clarify, webworms build silken webs over leaves and vegetation (not the trunks of trees), feed on the leaves, and expand the web as they need more food. The web serves as protection from wind, rain and predators like birds and wasps.
So what are we seeing co-cooning our trees and shrubs? According to MSU Extension Horticulturist Drew Bates, we are seeing the webs made by Archipsocus nomas, the webbing bark louse. Even though the insects are present in the spring, long periods of hot, humid weather favor outbreaks in late August and September. The silken webs, which seemingly appear overnight, provide bark Ice protection from predators while they feed.
Bark lice are small, brownish insects (approximately 1/8 inch in length) that live on the rough bark of hardwood trees, especially live oaks, and ornamental plants such as crepe myrtles. Bark lice are not parasitic on humans or animals and do not feed on living plants but on fungi, lichens and dead insects. According to Dr. Bates, bark lice are "Mother Nature's cleaning crew" keeping the bark clean and tidy, providing some benefits to the trees they infest.
Extension specialists recommend not treating bark lice because they cause no harm. Left undisturbed, the insects apparently eat and remove the silk webbing before populations decline by the end of the year. Some residents think the webs are unsightly and want them gone. If treatment is absolutely desired, there are some options available. One option is soapy water -- a concentration of 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap per gallon of water. Bemoving the webs with water by itself will not kill the bark lice, but will stimulate them to rebuild the webs within a few hours. Insecticide sprays applied to the bark of trees will also control these insects.
For more information, contact the Wilkinson County Extension Service at 601-888-3211.
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© 2009 The Woodville Republican Woodville, Mississippi. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.
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