"Cute but Hungry" in Today's New York Times

["James Pokorny" <j.pokorny@worldnet.att.net>]

In the "Garden Q. & A." section of The New York Times, Thursday June 13, 
2002, under the heading "Cute but Hungry" a concerned reader writes:

"My once-beautiful mugho pine was attacked last June by legions of 
loopers.  . . .  They clustered on the denuded branches and began 
rhythmically and synchronously undulating like the Wave at a ballgame.  I 
tried hosing them off and crushing them but could not keep up.  Finally, I 
guiltily massacred them . . .  Now I'm beginning to see them again.  Are 
there environmentally friendly remedies I can use?"

The columnist replies:

"The stand-up-and-sway behavior is defensive.  They are extremely 
gregarious, always eating together, and when one member of the group 
raises the alarm, they all join in to scare predators away."

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Yep . . . that sounds like us, all right . . .  I'm just wondering if the 
author lives in Santa Cruz or San Luis Obispo . . .

Short-term solution:  Loop IV should keep them busy for the next few weeks!

James