BROWN HILLS: Over in Potter County, patches of brown are turning
up on the lush summer hillsides.

Why? The forest tent caterpillars are munching their way through
mostly the sugar maple trees, causing what environmental officials
hope is just a temporary defoliation.

It’s been only a couple weeks now that we passed along some
information to readers on three emerging caterpillars – the tent
caterpillar, the forest tent caterpillar and the gypsy moth
caterpillar. So we read with interest a story in the Potter
Leader-Enterprise, Coudersport’s weekly newspaper, about the
“browning” of the hills.

The story quoted district forester Stan Hess who said most of
the patchy spots were those sugar maple trees.

Sugar maple is among the forest tent caterpillar’s preferred
species. They also like aspen, and red and scarlet oak. Ash, birch,
cherry and basswood are “less preferred.”

For the most part, healthy trees and healthy forest stands
survive this type of defoliation, Stan told the newspaper.

“But they do cause some mortality. It has had a definite impact.
Some trees that had other problems – maybe even a healthy tree
that’s been two, three years defoliated – may succumb. But people
should not panic, should not go out and sell their timber,” he
said.

The forest tent caterpillar is native to the eastern United
States. They proliferate to the point of “outbreak” every 12 years
or so. Over the last few years, the population has been building.
“It takes them awhile for you to notice it, and then you do notice
it – like this,” Stan said.

It was just last week now that we had mentioned a natural method
of control these creepy crawlies. A certain species of fly –
so-called “friendly flies” – lays their eggs on the pupa of the
caterpillar giving the maggots something to eat when they
emerge.

(Our apology to anyone eating breakfast at this moment.)

The fly population and other natural enemies increase in
proportion to the problem and so, nature takes care of the problem
in due time.

Too bad same can’t be said for the gypsy moth caterpillars, a
non-native species that has been etched in our mind for the
devastating impact it can leave on the forest – and our psyche.
When they get to the stage of overpopulation, they create a
backdrop suited only for a Hollywood horror flick.