A massive web made by moth caterpillars

Gardening Gardening: In The News
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Caterpillars cover hedges in webs in Norfolk and Suffolk | Eastern Daily Press :scream:

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:scream: :scream: :scream: :scream: :scream:

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Looks like the work of the Spindle Moth’s caterpillars -

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This is horrifying and yet fascinating, both in equal parts…

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Spindle Ermine Moth

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So pretty!

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@PixieKnuckles reminds me of the red weed from War Of The World.

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I had something like that near me a few years ago, from a distance I thought someone had put a lace tablecloth over the bushes.

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yikes

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My neighbour was cutting hedge and didn’t see it wascovered in this and the caterpillars actually landed on his arms hands and face and they left burn marks on his skin . He said it was very unpleasant so be aware

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Is it the moth’s who make the webs, for the hatching caterpillars to feed on?
Or the other way round?

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The Moths lay their eggs on the ground under the bushes - they can have two broods per year. When the caterpillars hatch (May/June and Sept/Oct) they climb the bush to eat the leaves - dropping lengths of silk for others to climb up. Then they cover the bush with their silk to protect themselves from the sun and from other predators while they pupate. They also give off an unpleasent smell - again to protect themselves. The caterpillars have hairs which can cause skin irritation if touched but both caterpillars and Moths are generally harmless.

The webs disappear of their own accord and the bushes recover well.

I only know this because I studied them back in 2019 for the ‘30 days Wild’ project run by the Wildlife Trust. One of my neighbours had a bush full of them.

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Ah, thank you Tabby. So it is the caterpillers who make the web, not the moths.:+1:

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@SilverTabby the markings on the moth match the web made by the caterpillars.

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Yes, they do. Clever little beasties! It was fascinating to watch them making the webs - can’t do that any more as the neighbours who owned the bush have cut it down. I think they were fed up of people going round to look!!

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I wouldn`t fancy walking through that in the dark.
Very pretty though.

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Me neither - and welcome to the forum!

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Have walked into a spiders web before, certainly gave me the heebie-jeebies. :scream:
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Welome to the forum.

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Hello and welcome Brokenvows.