Tent caterpillars inch their way into a southeast Saskatchewan takeover

There continue to be more reports of tent caterpillar infestations in Saskatchewan.

CBC has reported on people in Esterhazy, Sask., using snow blowers to get tent caterpillars away from their doors, and now people are sharing their tales of woe in Raymore and Yorkton.

Tentcaterpillars are different fromcankerworms, and like to clump together and defoliate ash, poplar and fruit trees.

• Tent caterpillars infest Esterhazy, Sask.

"I was outside of my workshop and it's just millions of those tent caterpillars," said Todd Deutsch in Raymore.

He suspected they were heading for his community because further west he could see trees being chewed off by the wormy creatures. Now they're in his yard and his main plan is to wait until mid June.

"They'll cocoon into moths or whatever, and then hopefully the wind will blow them east and they'll be gone."

Peter and Dawn Heider in Yorkton emailed CBC to share their photos.

"Our house is covered, our garages and sheds are just saturated," they wrote. "These 'monsters' appear within minutes and within an hour or so you cannot see the house!"

"We can't let our dog out, nor can we go outside without being covered in them!"

It's believed that that warm spring allowed tent caterpillar eggs to hatch earlier than normal, according to Russell Eirich, manager of forestry, pest control and horticulture for the City of Regina.

For large infestations, he recommends picking up a commercially prepared Btk spray, which is environmentally friendly and organic,at a home and garden centre.

• Tent caterpillars attack Regina