Experts report that the Eastern tent caterpillar egg hatch for Central Kentucky will likely begin mid-March.

"The development of the eastern tent caterpillar – and insects in general – is directly correlated with air temperature. This helps predict when they will be active," said Lee Townsend, PhD, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture entomologist. "Temperature data from UK’s Ag Weather Center so far shows a pattern in Central Kentucky that is very similar to 2012."

Townsend said temperature information can help predict when eggs will begin to hatch but gives no clue as to how many caterpillars will be present in a given area.

"Last year’s experience is the best thing to go by," he said. "There has been a gradual but relatively steady general increase in tent caterpillar numbers, and they have become much more apparent in some areas over the past few years. However, concentrations can be spotty, heavy in some areas and very light in others. The Eastern tent caterpillar overwinters in ringlike masses of 100 to over 400 eggs around pencil-sized twigs. A relatively small increase in the number of egg masses from one year to the next can mean a big jump in caterpillar numbers