Webworms attack!
It was a dark and stormy night... Wait. No. It was a bright and sunny day, but I like writing that opener because it reminds me of the hilarious creative writing competition... Alas, I digress... AHEM! Despite the humidity this morning, I worked in the garden for a few hours tilling humus and manure into my front border in preparation for planting a new hydrangea. I struggled with some fibrous roots from neighboring shrubs (probably one of the reasons this summer's annuals faired poorly in that spot) and then retired inside to wipe the sweat off and get started on a paper. (If you're interested - highly unlikely that you are, but here it is anyway - the paper was on Xerox CEO Anne Mulcahy and her legacy as a transformational leader. Can you understand why I'm ready to quit school and open my own garden shop?) Today happens to be a good writing day, so the paper flowed effortlessly. But just as I e-mailed the paper to my project teammates for review, something wriggled into my peripheral view. And there, hanging from a hair, was a big, fat WEBWORM. "Eeeeeeeeek!" I quickly swatted if off my head and stepped on it with a satisfying SMUSH. I then realized that it had been in my hair for nearly two hours, no doubt spinning a web and infesting me with eggs. I am officially disgusted and ready to declare war. Messing with my Bald Cypress trees is one thing, but an an attack from the air is another!
Are you having problems with webworms again? Here in North Texas, the record summer rainfall brought us webworm infestations a few months ago. I controlled mine with blasts from the waterhose, but some areas of town suffered badly.
Do you have a webworm dilemma? What methods have you tried for controlling them? Leave me some comments...
