Eastern tent caterpillars spend the winter as tiny, fully developed insects in distinctive egg masses that encircle twigs of wild cherry and related trees. | Photo Credit: University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture

Eastern tent caterpillar egg hatch was reported March 17 in Scott County.

“This year’s first observed hatch is seven days earlier than 2015, reflecting the warm spring temperatures,” said Lee Townsend, PhD, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment extension entomologist. “The hatch is not synchronized; tiny larvae will continue to emerge over the next two weeks from eggs laid last summer on wild cherry, flowering cherry, apple, and related trees. This is a hardy insect so predicted low temperatures in the 30-degree Fahrenheit range late this week should not affect their survival.”

Eastern tent caterpillars spend the winter as tiny, fully developed insects in distinctive egg masses that encircle twigs of wild cherry and related trees. It is one of the first insect species to become active in the spring and is well adapted to survive Kentucky’s erratic winter and early spring weather