The Fall webworms have been very active this year. The eggs are attached to a leaf in a small white silky mass. The resulting caterpillars create webs to protect themselves from predators while they eat the leaves inside the web and grow. Some trees have been completely defoliated. The following picture shows a pecan tree with numerous webs.
The caterpillars do not seem to bother oak trees very much. The following picture shows a tall hickory tree completely engulfed whereas the nearby oak trees show very little effect.
