My Princeton Elm leaves are being eaten by a small green caterpillar a half- to one-inch in length. The damage has been fairly extensive for the last two years and this year it has started very early. The tree is 15 years old and about 50 feet tall.
It sounds like Winter Moth, an insect that has migrated into our area from Asia through Canada. It feeds on many deciduous trees in early spring, but prefers fruit bearing trees such as ornamental cherries, pears, and crab-apples. If the tree is attacked repeatedly, it could weaken it and kill it. Two treatments are necessary and will likely need to be done on a yearly basis until this pest subsides.
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