2021 Cankerworm Update

Good news!

Just like last year, Charlotte’s cankerworm population remains low, meaning that the fall banding of trees is no longer necessary.

If you’ve lived in Charlotte for a while, you’ll remember when every fall our beloved willow oaks would be adorned with a not-so-chic, black, sticky wrap around their trunks.  These wraps were designed to help combat cankerworm, a native pest that has a special appetite for the leaves of willow oaks and over 50 other plant species.  When in high numbers, these caterpillars can defoliate even the most massive trees in the spring and cause real issues.  Thankfully, these bands did their intended duty and cankerworm populations have decreased to manageable levels for the past few years.  What does this mean for you?  It means yet again, banding trees is no longer necessary.

If you still have a band on your tree from years past, carefully remove it.  The sticky substance can still trap unintended critters like butterflies, lizards, and more.

Read more about Cankerworms and Tree Banding