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LiveCam at
Zion National Park . Utah
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Towers of the Virgin
About This Camera
LiveCam at
Zion National Park . Utah
Apr
28
The campgrounds are full and all the while Zion National Park is experiencing a huge outbreak of Southwestern Tent Caterpillars and the campers aren’t happy! The little critters are covering everything, tents, site posts, tables…anything below the trees. Although they’re normal and a natural part of the ecosystem here, they’ve reach an exceptionally high population this year. Over the last several years there have been very few hard freeze or freezing rain events and freezing is the main control over these caterpillars. Entire trees are encased in the caterpillar silk and most the leaves are eaten away. Hopefully the foliage will re-grow in time to shade campers during the hot summer days ahead. Fortunately, the caterpillars are only a nuisance for a couple of weeks then they subside leaving the trees looking bare until they can grow a new set of leaves. This has got to be a drain on the life of a tree over several cycles of this. Hopefully, there will be a deep freeze next winter.
Campers aren’t happy about the “invasion” of the campsites. Tables and pretty much anything is covered with the insects.
You can click on and enlarge any of these pictures if you really want to see these little guys up close. Beware!
Some of the bands put on the trees earlier this spring to prevent the caterpillars from climbing the trees worked, most didn’t. This band did not work and the caterpillars found their way under and over the band.
This Cottonwood is entirely encased in silk spun by thousands of caterpillars.
