Who is online?
In total there are 4 users online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 4 Guests None
Most users ever online was 112 on 8th October 2020, 7:09 am
Latest topics
» Hungry Birdsby Dirick55 7th December 2023, 6:04 am
» PRESENTATION
by Chilli-head 23rd November 2023, 2:55 pm
» New Kiva loan
by Chilli-head 21st July 2023, 12:35 pm
» A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial
by Dandelion 25th April 2023, 9:42 pm
» New gardening year 2023
by Chilli-head 5th March 2023, 10:15 pm
» What have I done in the workshop today?
by Dandelion 2nd December 2022, 1:12 pm
» What are you harvesting today?
by Dandelion 2nd December 2022, 1:12 pm
» Wartime marrow casserole
by Dandelion 18th October 2022, 4:42 pm
» Late sowings in August ... beans ?
by Ploshkin 11th August 2022, 9:29 am
» Come August, come night in the garden
by Chilli-head 4th August 2022, 3:29 pm
» Welcome guest
by Ploshkin 31st July 2022, 9:16 am
» The Jolly July Garden
by Ploshkin 19th July 2022, 11:38 am
» More mead ...
by Chilli-head 13th July 2022, 12:52 pm
» The June garden thread
by Dandelion 25th June 2022, 9:55 pm
» Plastic bags
by Dandelion 5th June 2022, 7:28 pm
» The merry May garden
by Dandelion 31st May 2022, 10:04 pm
» Fooling around in the April garden
by freebird 1st May 2022, 8:33 am
» March into the garden
by Dandelion 1st April 2022, 7:26 pm
» Mow Suggestions
by freebird 29th March 2022, 5:48 pm
» Some thoughts on resilience
by Ploshkin 12th March 2022, 2:23 pm
Statistics
We have 270 registered usersThe newest registered user is Lloyd
Our users have posted a total of 48045 messages in 2416 subjects
Similar topics
Cobweb mystery
+2
Compostwoman
Dandelion
6 posters
Page 1 of 1
Cobweb mystery
When driving to work each day we pass a couple of hedges in the hedgerow which are festooned with cobwebs - loads of it (It looks like something from Miss Haversham's house, or from the set of a Hammer horror film!) The hedges seems to be devoid of leaves underneath the cobwebs. It's a busy road with nowhere to stop, so we haven't been able to investigate - just wondered if anyone else had seen this, and could identify the cause?
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Cobweb mystery
Its produced by the Spindle Ermine Moth caterpillar...( also there are Cherry and other sorts I think)
They hatch out, scoff the leaves, spin silk and then pupate...
Spindle, Wild Cherry and Blackthorn are the prefrered leaves around us Dandelion...which is why you are seeing so many in the hedges.
You know that is the 8th time I have answered that question in 4 days ...
Its a pretty white with black spots moth...
They hatch out, scoff the leaves, spin silk and then pupate...
Spindle, Wild Cherry and Blackthorn are the prefrered leaves around us Dandelion...which is why you are seeing so many in the hedges.
You know that is the 8th time I have answered that question in 4 days ...
Its a pretty white with black spots moth...
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Cobweb mystery
Thanks for clearing up that mystery, CW - I'll report back to my colleague at school who asked me if I knew what they were!!
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Cobweb mystery
Oh, I'd forgotten about Charlotte!!
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Cobweb mystery
Arg yes.
We had (still have) a couple species of "tent caterpillers" of our own and then some idiots brought over one of yours (thought could use for silk!) and so now we have three in the eastern US woods. The problem is that each species "errupts" in large numbers every several years so now instead of (usually) two bad years every several we get three bad years every several, 50% worse.
In a bad year these can defoliate large swaths of forest. The trees usually do recover but some mortality in those that were marginal. When these critters are on the move (having eaten the leaves on the plant they were on) like an army on march.
The apparent purpose of the webbing during the feeding stage is to discourage predators. The "tent" where they congregate for the night is a sticky mess to get into.
We had (still have) a couple species of "tent caterpillers" of our own and then some idiots brought over one of yours (thought could use for silk!) and so now we have three in the eastern US woods. The problem is that each species "errupts" in large numbers every several years so now instead of (usually) two bad years every several we get three bad years every several, 50% worse.
In a bad year these can defoliate large swaths of forest. The trees usually do recover but some mortality in those that were marginal. When these critters are on the move (having eaten the leaves on the plant they were on) like an army on march.
The apparent purpose of the webbing during the feeding stage is to discourage predators. The "tent" where they congregate for the night is a sticky mess to get into.
Mike- Posts : 484
Join date : 2009-11-08
Age : 79
Location : Step by Step Farm, Berkshire Mtns, Massachusetts, USA
Re: Cobweb mystery
Its a bad year for them here Mike....some of our bird cherry trees are virtually leafless on the lower branches...I suspect the moths fly lower down and so never get to lay eggs up high in the trees or maybe higher up the caterpillars can be eaten more easily? but the swathes of silk are usually to be seen on hedgerows or below 20 ft on a tree....
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Cobweb mystery
Wish they had brought that species instead.
All of the ones we have here haven't the least difficulty in getting to the tops of trees. Nor would where the eggs laid make much difference as the critters climb. Eat one tree, lower self (selves) to ground on a silk thread, march en masse to find another tree, climb up and much. Like I said, during the day they spread out eating and then for the night return to the defense of the sticky "tent".
All of the ones we have here haven't the least difficulty in getting to the tops of trees. Nor would where the eggs laid make much difference as the critters climb. Eat one tree, lower self (selves) to ground on a silk thread, march en masse to find another tree, climb up and much. Like I said, during the day they spread out eating and then for the night return to the defense of the sticky "tent".
Mike- Posts : 484
Join date : 2009-11-08
Age : 79
Location : Step by Step Farm, Berkshire Mtns, Massachusetts, USA
Re: Cobweb mystery
Wonnder which ones you have...glad ours don't seem to exhibit THAT behaviour!
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Cobweb mystery
So pleased you've given me a reason for my mysterious webs; but is there a solution to this problem and if so whats the best treatment?
thanks
n
thanks
n
blue0901- Posts : 2
Join date : 2010-08-07
Re: Cobweb mystery
The Brown Tail Moth and Lackey Moth also make protective web masses in trees in the UK - the received wisdom in dealing with these webs is to remove them (wearing rubber gloves or other protective gloves) and burn them, or seal them in a bad and put it in the dustbin. Presumably this would be for trees which are not completely infested.
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Cobweb mystery
Do the caterpillars shed irritant hairs, then?
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Cobweb mystery
It's the Brown tail Moth which has irritating hairs - you can be affected by touching either the caterpillars themselves, or their nest which also has the hairs caught up in it.
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Cobweb mystery
didn't they have about these moths on Springwatch? I seem to recall Simon King standing next to a hedgefull. And that although bad at the time, hazels could recover ... and other things?
Love the pic of the hens D but it just increases my pash for them ... still not sure I should but hope to go to CW's course to find out if I can look after hens.
Love the pic of the hens D but it just increases my pash for them ... still not sure I should but hope to go to CW's course to find out if I can look after hens.
Guest- Guest
Re: Cobweb mystery
Thanks for the speedy reply badger, will give it a go.
blue0901- Posts : 2
Join date : 2010-08-07
Re: Cobweb mystery
Elen Sentier wrote:didn't they have about these moths on Springwatch? I seem to recall Simon King standing next to a hedgefull. And that although bad at the time, hazels could recover ... and other things?
Love the pic of the hens D but it just increases my pash for them ... still not sure I should but hope to go to CW's course to find out if I can look after hens.
DL went on one of my courses Elen, and look what happened.
Hen Master, Compost Master, I am converting the world to the power of hens and compost, one soul at a time..
Sorry, went there
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Cobweb mystery
I always fancy myself as a cross between a Bene Gesserit and Granny Wetherwax
Compostwoman- Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08
Re: Cobweb mystery
Compostwoman wrote:Wonnder which ones you have...glad ours don't seem to exhibit THAT behaviour!
Sorry I missed the question. We have:
(native)
Malacosoma americanum (eastern tent caterpiller) likes black cherry but attacks other things too, makes the characteristic big "tents"
M. disstria (forest tent caterpiller) Prefers hardwoods other than black cherry and makes small pads rather than the communal tents
(introduced from your side)
Lymentridia disper (gypsey moth) Most hardwoods and will attack and kill softwoods, makes large tents. Introduced by an idiot named Leopold Trouvelot to Massuchesetts in 1869 for experiments to see if they could be bred for silk production but they easily escaped from his backyard lab and are now hopelessly well established.
The problem is that our forest coped OK with just two of these species irrupting every several years as trees can usually recover if they don't get hit two years in a row. And the native species didn't prefer the same species of trees. But three irruptions in as many years is a 50% increase in the damage.
For all of these, when they are finishing off their current tree and moving in search of another it's like an army on the march.
Mike- Posts : 484
Join date : 2009-11-08
Age : 79
Location : Step by Step Farm, Berkshire Mtns, Massachusetts, USA
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
|
|