Those silky webs wrapping the branch tips of pecans across San Antonio and Austin are fall webworm tents, and each one holds a colony of caterpillars feeding on the leaves inside. They tend to show up most heavily from late summer through fall.
On a healthy, established pecan, a few tents are mostly cosmetic. The concern grows when heavy infestations strip large sections of foliage on trees already stressed by heat, drought, or root disturbance from construction.
Pruning out reachable webs while they are still small is the most direct control. Broad insecticide spraying on large shade trees is rarely necessary and can harm the beneficial insects that keep webworm populations in check naturally. Opening webs with a pole also lets birds and wasps reach the caterpillars inside.
When webworms return to the same tree year after year, it is worth having an arborist check its overall vigor. Repeat infestations often point to a tree that needs help with water, soil, or nutrition.
#SanAntonioTreeService #AustinTreeCare #PecanTrees #TreeHealth #TexasArborist
A close, authentic photo of fall webworm webbing on pecan branch tips, or a crew member pruning out a web from a lift. Real local photos outperform stock.
Canva text suggestion: "Webs in Your Pecan? Here's Why" or "Fall Webworms: What Pecan Owners Should Know"