The silken nests are built in the crotches of limbs and can become quite large. Larvae cause considerable concern when they begin to wander to protected places to pupate. They are frequently seen crawling on other types of plants, walkways, and storage buildings. They are a nuisance and can create a mess when they are squashed on driveways, sidewalks, and patios. But keep in mind that no additional feeding or damage is done by the wandering caterpillars.
Insecticides are generally ineffective against mature larvae.
Eastern tent caterpillar nests are frequently confused with fall webworm nests. Unlike the tent caterpillar, fall webworm nests are located at the ends of the branches and their loosely woven webs enclose foliage while the tents of the eastern tent caterpillar do not. While there may be some overlap, fall webworm generally ocurrs later in the season. The eastern tent caterpillar overwinters as an egg , within an egg mass of 150 to 400 eggs. The caterpillars hatch about the time the buds begin to open, usually in early March.