Pests!

We were stunned this afternoon, to see this "thing" in our Lilac tree next to the house.  We have no idea how long it has been there, but our guess is that it hasn't been here for more than a day.  So the guess is that these are tent caterpillars.  So I think I know how to get rid of them.

I cut the two branches with the nests off of the tree, to begin my disposal procedure.

This is a view inside the tent.  You can see the eggs that have been laid - they are the tiny black specs inside the tent.  You can also see the caterpillars crawling around.   So I laid the branches with tents on the patio, and grabbed my Bernzomatic torch with the blowtorch tip.  I used the torch on all the tents and leaves, and then all the caterpillars fell out on the ground, and I torched them as well.  Maybe there was an easier way, but I was reluctant to use pesticide.  You should click on the pictures to see everything in more detail.