It appears the forest tent caterpillar outbreak in Saskatoon is over.

The city’s entomologist, Jeff Boone, said typical outbreaks last three to seven years and the latest cycle appears to be over after five years.

"We had about five years of an outbreak and it looks like our time with tent caterpillars has come to an end."

The caterpillars, a common insect, will still be seen in low numbers, he said. While the pest is a nuisance for homeowners, trees covered in forest tent caterpillars do not get significantly harmed, he said.

It’s not well understood what causes an outbreak or how to predict when the next one will hit.

“Entomologists have been looking at it for a very long time and I'm not sure there's any definitive answer as to why,” he said.