On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 08:28:16 -0400, GaryM
wrote:

I spent the past weekend up in the Arlington / Manchester area in
Vermont. The weather was close and hot (88F) so we stayed on
tributaries upon arriving Saturday afternoon.

As an aside, this whole area is currently the throes of a tent
caterpillar infestation. Thousands of acres across a swath of the
lower mountains are bare. The trees in the valley also are hit to
some extent and you can see hundreds of these caterpillars on a
single trunk of a maple or oak. The river is littered with leaf
cuttings and the ground with their turds.

Also I noticed a large population of house fly that buzzes around you
annoyingly, which I assume is prospering on the prevalence carcass,
or turd. It is a temporary manifestation, but last year was the worst
in the 38 years (14,000 acres affected) and this year seems to have
outdone it, so some trees may not develop secondary growth. Leaf
peepers may be disappointed this year.

Actually the flies are a major parasite to and control agent of tent
caterpillars.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/treecare/...iendlyfly.html


*rest of excellent TR snipped*


g.c.