Hatchlings in a jar.  These were brought inside, so outdoor eggs have probably not hatched.  Thought you might like to see how tiny they are (Karen says about 1/8 inch long).

Karen Snape sent in a photo of eggs on twigs and a clothespin she brought inside to watch.  You can see they are very tiny.  If anyone sees hatched larvae on your trees, let me know and I'll share on the blog.

This photo of a banded tree is from a couple of weeks ago.

The arrows point to eggs. 

The top photo shows many more moths on the tree band.  If you have eggs below the band, please keep an eye out for hatching, so we can spread the word.  The Forest Health Update (linked in the last blog) said that we should be in the tapering off phase of the infestation, and that others nearby had hatched.  With this extreme cold, I doubt there is much activity, but the weather is forecast to warm up in the next couple of days.

The Virginia Forest Update contained the link below, and on page 5 you will find an article from Department of Forestry on the Fall Canker Worm invasion.

Virginia Forest Health Review

Fall Canker worm moth adult females (black) and males (with wings)

Thought you might like to see another photo courtesy of Karen Snape on the maple tree she banded.

Caledon Fall Canker Worm Research Project
A college student is conducting a research project at several area parks, including Caledon State Park.  He was kind enough to share his King George information with me.  He banded 4 trees at Caledon, and has trapped 6, 53, 495 and 727 female moths for a total of 1281!  I've not counted mine, but don't think I've seen anywhere near 500 moths on any one tree.

Female moth with eggs

Female moths will lay eggs below your bands.  Watch for these and do not remove bands until after eggs have hatched.  If your bands are full in spring, either replace or add another band above to capture hatching larvae as they move up the tree.

Two female moths with eggs - notice eggs near top left of photo.

Happy New Year!  And the fall canker worms are on the move.  I've had reports from Presidential Lakes, The Meadows, Rt. 206, Eden Estates, and can see lots of moths at my house in the Jersey area at the south end of the county.  We've got them crawling on the house for the first time that I've noticed.  I also had an email from another KG resident who has them on the house and sent a great photo of the adult female.  Thank you for telling me about your moths, and I hope it helps us save our trees.  Enjoy (?) the new photos.

Adult female. Head is up, one leg extended.

Males caught in the wrap, females show as dark spots near the bottom of the band.

The banded tree.

Another shot of banding.  More females on this tree and fewer males.