We have identified that our first project in 1996 (Project 1) opposite the Sparrow Castle Pumping Station on The Manston Road (pictured above in Sep 2008) has probably been the original 'locus' of the Brown Tailed Moth infestation we noticed in early summer of 2008 on young hedgerows along The Manston Road (Project 12); on The HSBC Hedge (Project 13) and on the hedge on the north side of the bridle way (Project 9).
The picture above shows a Brown Tailed Moth Caterpillar on a young hawthorn in late September 2008.
This is the typical Brown Tailed Moth 'tent'. The adult female lays eggs in late Aug/early September and the very small caterpillars that hatch then collect together to form a gossamer 'tent' on twigs on the hawthorn. Between 100 and 200 little caterpillars then take up residence and overwinter. Removal of these 'tents' in late autumn and winter effectively removes the infestation and damage that these caterpillars wreak in the next spring; they will strip plant after plant of all leaf.
The end of over 100 'early' nests from the HSBC Hedgerow alone!
We have identified that our first project in 1996 (Project 1) opposite the Sparrow Castle Pumping Station on The Manston Road (pictured above in Sep 2008) has probably been the original 'locus' of the Brown Tailed Moth infestation we noticed in early summer of 2008 on young hedgerows along The Manston Road (Project 12); on The HSBC Hedge (Project 13) and on the hedge on the north side of the bridle way (Project 9).
The picture above shows a Brown Tailed Moth Caterpillar on a young hawthorn in late September 2008.
This is the typical Brown Tailed Moth 'tent'. The adult female lays eggs in late Aug/early September and the very small caterpillars that hatch then collect together to form a gossamer 'tent' on twigs on the hawthorn. Between 100 and 200 little caterpillars then take up residence and overwinter. Removal of these 'tents' in late autumn and winter effectively removes the infestation and damage that these caterpillars wreak in the next spring; they will strip plant after plant of all leaf.
The end of over 100 'early' nests from the HSBC Hedgerow alone!
1 comment:
well done ............any updates?
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