Catalpa Worms

[hoglaw]

When I was growing up down south, we ALWAYS fished with catalpa worms and they never seemed hard to find. When I bought my house in Fayetteville a couple of years ago, I noticed a 20 foot catalpa tree on my property. Two years later, the thing hasn't had a single worm on it. It's mature, it has pods and everything, but no worms. Today, I noticed that one of the trees by my office off Dickson St. is a thirty five foot catalpa, but it doesn't have any worms on it either.

Now, when I was growing up I didn't ever notice a catalpa without worms. Do these trees have to be innoculated somehow? Are the moths that lay the eggs not found this far north? What gives?

[loo10]

We too had a catalpa tree in our yard growing up although it was smaller than yours.

We lived in northeast Missouri, Hannibal.

Had catalpa worms every year.

Last worms I saw on a catalpa tree was over 10 years ago.

I don't know WHAT happened to them!

[brownieman]

I have several huge Catalpa trees in my yard...just as you when I was young I used them for bait alot and the trees were covered with them.

I have not seen a single worm on any of my trees...mystery to me also. I would also like to know what gives?? I have lived in the same town most of my life so I know we are not too far north here...maybe someone can give a good reason.

[hoglaw]

Maybe they're disappearing like the bees? I wonder if Al Gore has something to do with this......

[podum]

I hope you find some. Best. Catfish bait. Ever.

[fishinwrench]

Now that you mention it I haven't seen a Cworm in quite awhile. 2 years ago up around Hermann, MO. we searched a stand of Catalpa trees specifically looking for worms before a catfishing excursion on the Missouri river.....didn't find any...not even one.

At the time I just assumed we were looking for them at the wrong time of the year (it was September). But now I'm wondering.

When I was a kid up around Mexico, Mo. we used to search the mulberry trees for blacksnakes and then terrorize the neighborhood girls with them. Catalpa worms were always thick in the mulberry trees even though catalpa trees were everywhere. catalpa's.

The blacksnakes climbed the mulberry trees to ambush birds, so we were told, ... but they probably ate more catalpa worms than birds.