The orange striped oakworm, Anisota senatoria (J. E. Smith), has become a major pest of urban oak plantings along city streets in Norfolk, Va., since 1981. Insecticidal sprays were applied by city employees at citizen request to control this pest, resulting in needless pesticide use; >50% of citizen requests for pesticide application in 1987 and 1988 were for trees with <5% defoliation. Justification for an urban pest management program for A. senatoria was based on the economic value of urban oak trees ( x⁻ = $5,131 per tree) and the large pesticide volume sprayed for control (55,172 liters in 1986). Monitoring and establishing an aesthetic injury level of 25% defoliation in 1988 resulted in a decrease in pesticide volume of 80% and a real cost savings of 55% over the previous year.