I have a question regarding apple trees and the caterpillars.
We have a great apple tree, that I have just noticed has the early nest of these crazy caterpillars that we get around here. Can you help me with the most effective way to get rid of these things before they hatch and start eating our tree???? Is spraying ok for the fruit??
It is possible that your apple tree has an infestation of tent caterpillars, but without seeing the pests, I could not say definitively. If this is what you have, the information below from Washington State University Extension should be of use.
Also, check out Toxic-Free Future’s page on managing tent caterpillars.
You should be able to prune out the affected part of the tree and dispose of the nest.