Leaves on the trees in a grove at Wilson's Pecan Farm, Compton Junction, have been devoured by walnut caterpillars, leaving the trees as bare as one might expect to see them at the height of winter. The severe infestation has left groves from Lamar to Adrian in similar condition. It's the worst infestation local growers can recall. Extension specialists say a one-time incident like this shouldn't kill a healthy tree, but information from the USDA indicates that if it were to happen three years in a row it could be fatal to the trees. Producers say an early frost had already destroyed most of this year's pecan crop, so the infestation has had little impact on this year's harvest, which will be very negligible at best. Many have no pecan crop at all.