Mum asks how to get rid of an infestation of hairy caterpillars on her white cedar tree

A mother is at a loss for what to do after making a gruesome discovery in her garden.

While the strange discoloration at the base of her white cedar tree looks like an unusual growth, it’s actually an infestation of caterpillars.

The woman, from New South Wales, said she planted the white cedar with her late father and is so desperate to save the sentimental tree and asked the internet for advice.

While some said they had to remove their trees because of a similar infestation, many said their trees had survived for decades despite the pesky bugs.

Enthusiastic gardeners offered their time-tested methods of eliminating the caterpillars — which are attracted to the leaves of white cedar trees — from pesticides to chili and garlic water, and even burning them.

“Hello, I have a white cedar tree in my garden and it is very special to me because my father and I planted it together before he died,” the woman wrote in a message to the Mothers who garden Facebook group.

“It’s full of caterpillars anyway and I mean the trunk is full of them, you can’t see the trunk. I’ve tried killing them with bug spray, hosing them down, but they keep coming back. They’re even in my house.”

She said the caterpillars “devoured” all the leaves on the tree and asked how she could get rid of them.

“Will they eventually kill the tree or just eat the leaves?” she asked.

Group members were quick to identify the caterpillars as the larvae of the white cedar moth and are found all over Australia except Tasmania.

The caterpillars will strip a white cedar tree of its leaves at night and then retreat to where they can find shelter during the day, meaning they can show up in nearby houses, garages, cars and sheds.

Many offered their tried and tested methods to eliminate the caterpillars, from pesticides to chilli and garlic water and even burning them

Once they have eaten all the leaves from one tree, they move to another.

They also have fine hairs all over their bodies that can cause irritation or an allergic reaction to the skin if touched.

Other moms shared their experiences with the pests, with one saying they are very common and will return every year.

“We had these the first year we moved into our new home. It was horrible. They come in and cocoon,” another recalled.

The second year was even worse. By the third year, the trees were gone. I couldn’t get rid of them.’

But many offered hope, saying the caterpillars shouldn’t kill the woman’s beloved tree.

“This happens every year to my father’s white cedar, and the tree is still alive. I first remember it happening about 40 years ago,” said one woman.

“We get that every year. The tree won’t die, but the caterpillars are an absolute nightmare,” said a second.

“I’ll get a pump of pesticide from Bunnings and spray it on the tree.”

Green thumbs offered more advice for getting rid of the caterpillars, with one woman recommending wrapping a burlap sack soaked with catch oil around the trunk.

“We saved our tree by wrapping burlap around the base, the caterpillars stick to the burlap, then you can unwrap it and the caterpillars drown. No poison needed. Keep going – it’s been a few months,” said another.

“If you take a bag of chaff and soak it in kerosene and tie it around the base of the tree, but try to fold the top out a little bit, the caterpillars will go in and stay in the bag, and when it’s time, get then take it off and burn it. An old gentleman told me this years ago,’ a third explained.

One recommended seeking advice from a qualified arborist or staff at a local botanic garden and another said she should collect seeds from the tree to replant and keep the memory of her father alive.

“Try chilli garlic water, spray them with it, make it really strong,” someone suggested.

“We had these and I just sprayed them with fly spray and they went away!” replied another garden.

Grow some rosemary around the base. Caterpillars hate rosemary and they are so hardy they rarely die,” a third added.