After numerous sightings of the nests of Eastern Tent caterpillar nest on his farm, Frank Taylor said that he has been vigilant this season about spraying to destroy the nests. As the weather warms up, and the caterpillars are leaving the nests and making their way elsewhere, this is the time of year when they could become dangerous to pregnant mares.That is what happened from 1999 to 2001, when accidental ingestion of the caterpillars was linked to Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS), when 3,500 foals were lost.While this year's crop doesn't look anything like those difficult years, Taylor said he had the feeling that this year's crop might be heavier than normal.“The year we had all the loss, it was massive amount of caterpillars, like covering the fences up, covering everything up,” he said. “But I've been watching it very closely. I'm very sensitive to it. I have PTSD from caterpillars. But I've watched them through the years and about every 10 years they have what they call a super hatch.”Taylor suspects this may be one of those years.“We are spraying heavily at Taylor Made and getting everything done, but we just want to help the whole industry by reminding them what a problem this can be,” said Taylor. “We're spraying with a chemical, and I was looking at (the nests) today and it's certainly working.”No one was available at the University of Kentucky's Martin Gatton College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment on Monday to confirm if this were a larger-than-normal crop , but in a press release, they warn that a warm early spring may have accelerated this year's season.The news release offers guidance on what to do if you see nests on your farm.“If farm managers notice high numbers of nests, they should relocate pregnant mares from areas near wild cherry trees to reduce the risk of exposure,” said Dr. Jonathan Larson, an Extension Entomologist at UK, said. “The greatest risk occurs when these mature caterpillars leave the trees to pupate and transform into moths. As they travel through the grass, they could be accidentally ingested.”“As part of caterpillar management practices, pregnant mares should be kept away from infested trees, and preferred host trees should either be removed or not planted close to horse farm paddocks,” UK advises.“In certain situations, using insecticides, such as the organic pesticide Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt), to control the caterpillars in addition to those preventive measures may be necessary. Treating tall trees that are challenging to spray may also be necessary.”Taylor said the he was out on the golf course the other day, and he saw two caterpillars crawling across his path, indicating they were hatching and leaving the nests.“They're certainly getting out into the environment,” he said, concerned that some people may have forgotten the horrors of 1999. “People are probably already doing it, but I just kind of wanted to remind them, `hey, you had better take care of this.'”The post Eastern Tent Caterpillars: A Heavier-Than-Normal Year in Kentucky? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.