BLACKSBURG (WSLS 10)-- As you head back to work after the weekend, you might notice some new silk webs forming on the trees. The fall webworms are back and having a huge impact on some regions of Southwest Virginia.
The insects are cyclical, so each year we see them in the fall-- but how many or few we see varies by area and changes from year to year. In Roanoke and Blacksburg, the webworm numbers are about average, you might notice some in the trees along Interstate 81 or in a bush in your backyard. For people in Martinsville and Henry County, the webworm tents seem to be everywhere.
Fall webworms can cause major damage to the branches and trees while they're here, but experts say that damage won't last forever.
"It is mostly cosmetic," says Eric Day, the manager at the Virginia Tech Insect Identification Lab. "It's kind of sporadic. They pop up and cause a lot of damage, but the trees tend to have good recovery ability. Next year, there's a good chance those trees will put leaves back out and do pretty well."
Webworms don't seem to be picky, there are more than 100 species of plants that they're known to feed on, but there are some they prefer. One plant they're especially drawn to is hops-- something that could spell bad news here in Virginia as more and more craft breweries pop up all over the state.
"Hops are a high value crop and monitored very carefully," says Day. "Generally, the growers for hops are picking webworms up very quickly and getting rid of it when they see it."
But by the time their tents get full-grown, it's too late to get rid of them. Experts say there's no easy way to get those nests down and for most people, it's not worth the hassle.
Do a quick Google Search, and you'll find people talking about burning the nests down-- but experts say that can be dangerous and cause more damage to the trees than the webworms themselves.
Day says the key to controlling the insect is early prevention, catching the webworms early and spraying to keep them away.
"I would say for people to just monitor it next year," he says. "Start looking in July and if you see the beginning of the web, treat it then. Most people will see a crash in the population with not as much defoliation next year."
Any damage we're seeing to the leaves or branches right now will be gone by next spring, when all of those leaves bloom again.