Video Transcript
We are here at this lovely site which has a series of office blocks set in some beautiful grounds. But when we come round to look at these bird cherries, what’s going on? The trees are covered in these cobwebs.
It’s not just a single one, but it carries on all the way through this group, like someone’s dressed them up for Halloween. It’s very spooky.
When we get up close, you can see the culprits. This is a nest in here, and this is the Ermine moth. Most of the caterpillars have now pupated, waiting to come out as a moth, but this is the protective layer that they put all over the tree while they feed. And you can see, looking up through these trees, there’s pretty much no leaf left, just the spooky cobwebs all over the tree. There’s another nest up there.
This is quite unusual because normally you’ll see the Ermine moth in a hedge, and a little section of hedgerow will be defoliated and covered in these cobwebs. But here we’ve got a group of these six trees, apart from this last one that’s not totally defoliated, but it’s really rampant through here. That’s quite an unusual sight.
However, this moth is tree species-specific. This one feeds on bird cherries, which are what these are, and then you get one that I think feeds on spindle, and there are various other species. So here, because this had been planted as a group, this infestation has really taken hold, but this is quite rare.
Whilst it looks quite spooky, there’s no real danger to human health. It’s not like the Oak Processionary moth, where you get hairs on the caterpillar that are a real irritant. The Ermine moth doesn’t do much apart from defoliating these trees, and this is not great for the trees.
If these trees are stressed, this is going to make it a lot worse. They should flush out another set of leaves if the rain kicks in (if we get any rain at the moment), it will wash off all of those cobwebs. But if this tree is stressed, which here it will be because they’re up on a bank so they’re a little bit moisture-deprived, during this hot spell, this is going to be a bit of a problem. This defoliation is not great.
You will read in other places that it doesn’t actually harm the tree, but the tree wouldn’t put out leaves just for them to be eaten. The tree wants those leaves to photosynthesise and make energy. This isn’t great, but trees are survivors. They’ll get through it.
This is normally where you would find the Ermine moth, in a mixed hedgerow, just defoliating. This is just spindle here, and you can see further down it’s absolutely fine, and then you get another little patch where you’ve got spindle because it hasn’t attacked the hawthorn, the hazel, and the blackthorn in this hedge, just the bits of spindle.
Why Choose Beechwood Tree Care?
At Beechwood Tree Care, we are not just skilled in the work we do but extremely passionate about it too. This encourages us to go above and beyond for our clients, delivering the best possible care for their trees and landscapes.
We are highly experienced and certified arborists who operate across the region, delivering precise care and expert insights into your tree management.
Contact Us Today
If you are looking for local arborists to bring out the best in your landscape, Beechwood Tree Care is here to help. Contact the team today to request a consultation and to learn more about our services.
