Caterpillars killed the tree

[TimTinNewell]

Behind our house, in the public space along the pond, caterpillars have killed a tree. They ate every leaf on it and now it appears to be dead. There are almost no leaves left at all and it's mostly brown. Does anyone know if the Villages spray the trees for pests? Or, do they remove dead trees? Just trying to figure out if I should call someone about it. Thanks

[Bogie Shooter]

District Property Management
352-753-4022

[dtennent]

If this just happened, give it a year. Very often, trees will grow new leaves in a 6-12 months.

[ThirdOfFive]

Behind our house, in the public space along the pond, caterpillars have killed a tree. They ate every leaf on it and now it appears to be dead. There are almost no leaves left at all and it's mostly brown. Does anyone know if the Villages spray the trees for pests? Or, do they remove dead trees? Just trying to figure out if I should call someone about it. Thanks
Agree with Post #3. Don't assume it is dead.

Back home we had periodic plagues of "army worms", so called because they'll spread in whatever direction they choose to go regardless of attempts to stop them. They're a caterpillar that produces a pale white nondescript moth. There are a few every year but the major plague hits about once every 12 years or so--they can get so bad that driving on highways that are being crossed by them resembles driving on ice. Fortunately they're selective eaters: they strongly prefer poplar trees and will leave the other trees alone as long as there is poplar to eat. They can strip entire stands of poplar in a day or so. But even though the trees always look dead once they move on, the trees invariably recover: either with another growth of leaves (a lot smaller and sparser) the same year or a full complement the following spring.