I've seen Mimosa Webworms (visual confimration) in my honey locust over the past few years and haven't done anything about it. This year, a decent portion of the leaves (65%?) are webbed and truning brown. I'm in MD. The tree is about 20 years old.

Oh, also, there are these webs hanging all over the tree all the way down to the ground. It looks like a friggin Halloween tree at this point. Are these from the worms or from predators?

I found this link:

http://www.donnan.com/webworm_Honeylocust.htm

They suggest:

"Prune out and destroy small infestations within easy reach. If a large percentage of the tree is affected, that is not practical. Since mimosa webworms are moths, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) provides excellent control of small larvae. Once they grow to a larger size, over one-half inch, Bt will not be as effective. Other insecticides labeled to control mimosa webworm include BioNeem (azadirachtin); Sevin (carbaryl); Bayer PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer (cyfluthrin); pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide; and Captain JackÂs Deadbug Brew (spinosad)."

Too much to prune at this stage

One worm on a lower branch waS 3/8" - 7/16" long.

This is obviously the second generation of worms sicne it's August. They are pretty well protected inside their webs.

Do you think Bt would work at this stage or should I just wait until next year?

Can I purchase and apply it myself?

Is Bt something that the tree absorbs or something that I need to get all over the leaves?

Are any of the other solutions listed in the article above non-toxic to humans?

Any other advice would be welcome. :)

Thanks!!