Tent caterpillars infest Esterhazy, Sask.

Tent caterpillars have taken over trees, lawns, and the outside of houses in Esterhazy, Sask.

"There's nothing much you can do about it when they've taken over," said Brian Tochor, who lives in Esterhazy.

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"We have a hot tub outside that we like to spend time ... there's a mat, a one inch thick mat for the ten feet between the house and the hot tub that's just solid one inch of tent caterpillars."

They're also crawling along the exterior of his house.

"We've given up using several doors," he said.

There's a bird's nest in Tochor's yard and he's worried the eggs won't hatch since the caterpillars make it hard for the mother bird to warm the eggs.

Those covering his house don't compare to his neighbour's home.

"They're travelling from south to north it seems and his house is now in the way of their travels sothey were going up and around his house. So as much as a nuisance as they were to him, his house is even more of a nuisance to them."

His neighbour has tried using a snow blower to blow them away from the doors before going in.

In an effort to save his own Saskatoon berries, Tochor bought $138 worth of vinegar and Tide. Then he sprayed his Saskatoon berry bushes with it three times.

"I lost the battle," he said. "When they're finished with my Saskatoons, there's nothing but a stick and berries, there's just the hard berry left.

"All the flower casings, everything, are completely gone. All the leaf stems are completely gone, there's nothing left but this hard, old green berry and this brown stick."

Tochor is hoping the infestation is gone in a few weeks.