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Even though I have been picking out egg masses since last fall and dormant-sprayed my fruit trees and shrubs in winter, I am having my share of tent caterpillars hatching in my cherry, plum and pear trees, as well as my currant bushes.  They started hatching on April 14 in my garden in central Port Angeles.  While they are still small and easily overlooked, you’ll see them once you know what to look for.  I have been rubbing and cutting them out, combining the latter with spring pruning.  They are still small but they will start eating the leaves soon enough and before you know it, the caterpillars will be everywhere and your trees will be bare.  We are apparently still working our way toward some tent caterpillar peak, and if you thought last year was bad, this year is looking to be even worse.  And while these otherwise inoffensive creatures have their role to play in the whole ecological circle of things, I’ve decided they don’t need to do that thing in my garden.  My plan of action is to get out there in the evenings and continue to rub and cut them out manually.  Then this weekend, I will “B.T.” the plum trees, which are too tall for manual removal and I will repeat that throughout the growing season as needed.  B.T. is considered organic and safe for all but caterpillars.  Avoid using B.T. on plants that provide food for the larvae caterpillars of the tiger swallowtail butterfly, such as plants in the parsley (Apiaceae) family (carrot, dill, parsley, celery, lovage, and queen anne’s lace), and cherry, ash, birch, tulip tree, and lilac.  To read more about tent caterpillars, check out “How to get rid of tent caterpillars” and “Biology and Control of Tent Caterpillars.”