If you're seeing pale, silky webbing wrapped around the outer branches of a pecan, hickory, or persimmon tree right now, that's fall webworm, and this is exactly when it shows up across Houston.
The nests look alarming, and a heavy infestation can strip a lot of leaves from the ends of branches. The good news is that a mature, otherwise healthy tree usually tolerates it without lasting harm. A stressed or younger tree is a different story.
We look at the whole tree, not just the webbing, before recommending anything. Sometimes it's simple pruning of the affected limbs, sometimes it's monitoring, and sometimes a stressed tree needs more support to recover from a heavy year.
Have you spotted any of these webbed nests on trees in your yard this month? Send us a photo and we'll tell you what we're seeing.
#TreeCare
A real photo of fall webworm nesting on a branch tip, ideally from a recent Houston job, showing the silky web structure clearly. A before/after of a treated or pruned branch would also perform well if available.
Canva text suggestion: "That webbing on your pecan tree? Fall webworm." or "Seeing webworm nests? Here's what to know"