Duluth, Minn. The cold, damp weather throughout Minnesota has a bright side. It has delayed this year’s expected outbreak of forest tent caterpillars, although the first wave of worms is expected to hatch any day now as long-dormant trees finally sprout

Last year’s largest-ever crop of forest tent caterpillars turned
into moths in July and those moths laid lots of eggs. Those eggs
have been snug in foam-like egg clusters on tree branches all
winter.

“It’s pretty well timed so they hatch just as the first aspen
leaves come out,” said Mike Albers, forest pest expert for the
DNR.