(INDIANA) - The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is urging landowners to watch for eastern tent caterpillar activity as spring settles in across the state.
The native defoliating insects are now building their familiar silk tents in the forks of tree branches, typically appearing in late March and early April.
State forestry officials say the caterpillars will continue feeding and growing through mid to late May, eventually reaching about twice their current size.
The DNR says most healthy trees are expected to recover without long-term damage.
Still, homeowners who find tents in yard trees may want to inspect twigs for egg masses later this summer, especially in June and July.
The state is also asking residents to report unusually heavy concentrations of eastern tent caterpillars or significant defoliation of large trees to the DNR's forest health specialist.