Garden Q&A: How do I deal with tent caterpillars?

Q:  My cherry tree had tent caterpillars on it last year. When might they come back this year, and how do I get rid of them?

A:  Insect development depends on temperature trends, and Central Maryland probably hasn’t reached the warmth threshold yet for tent caterpillar egg hatch.

This native moth spends the winter as a black, firm, foam-like egg mass on twigs. The average date of Eastern Tent Caterpillar emergence has usually been around early May. However, unusually warm weather might push that ahead into mid-April...