Ticks and tent moth caters

[19Dawn76]

I took a limb down from our pecan tree that had a huge nest of worms in it , i was thinking "o the girls will love these " but they didn't eat any of them. I thought they were called bag worms tho.

Good luck and

 

[oldbear]

When I was a kid my dad liked to raise rhode islands. We ate a lot of them! I just haven't raised any really for 30 years or so and thought I would come ask some well educated in the arena! Now I am really curious about whether they will eat them or not. They really are the main reason for wanting to get them. The fact they reduce the tick population would be a nice bonus. If they were still in the tent as mentioned they were probaly far from adults and not noticeable as caters? I had a couple people answer on the bee forum that their chickens go nuts over them. I mean they were all over my blacktop driveway this year. I think they like the warmth. They make little yellow cocoons everywhere. In the mailbox, in the garage, under the edges of the siding on the house. yada yada.

 

[19Dawn76]

Sorry I just had another thought - i wonder if some type of weeder geese would eat thm?

 

[canada-goose]

Geese are vegetarians, I think.

 

[Imp]

Just did some googling. There are more than one kind of tent cater. Oldbear I think you are having difficulty with the Eastern tent caterpillars. They do come down out of the trees, re infest year after year. Seems that chickens will eat them as well as lots of other birds and other predators. The tent is a natural protection from predators. Sometimes chickens are afraid of new foods.

Imp- Glad I have Western Tent Caterpillars instead

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
Yes, they are. Good call.

What about guineas? They eat a lot of bugs, good at predator evasion and are pretty low maintenance.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Yes, they are. Good call.

What about guineas? They eat a lot of bugs, good at predator evasion and are pretty low maintenance.

i was thinking Guinea hens also..they are GREAT bug eaters...check into them...good luck!

 

[wildorchid053]

i have big RIR"s and they won't touch caterpillars of any kind.. think it is the fuzz.