Web moths, or rather their larvae, can make trees look terrible. Hardly anyone can imagine that they will ever recover from this. But is the situation really that hopeless? More about the effects of the “pest” and how to combat it in the garden.
Are spider moths dangerous in trees?
Web moth caterpillars dono permanent damage to the tree. After St. John's shoots, the crown is leafy again and the webs disappear. They can lead to crop losses on fruit trees. Spray with neem oil in April and cut off the first affected shoots.
What are those web moths in the tree?
The family of web and bud moths (Yponomeutidae) includes around 900 species worldwide. Many species also occur in Germany. The name of the species usually has a reference to its preferred food plant. Widely used in the home garden:
- Apple tree moth
- Plum web moth
- Pfaffenhütchen web moth
- Black Cherry Spider Moth
The white butterflies with small black dots lay their eggs like roof tiles on branches and young shoots of food plants in the garden and in the wild in summer. In spring, countless hatched larvae spin themselves into fine, silvery webs.
What damage can web moth caterpillars cause?
The web moth caterpillar is very voracious. And since there are hundreds of them snaking through each web, they caneat the entire tree bare Luckily, they pupate around mid-June, so that the affected tree can recover with the St. John's shoot. Severely infected fruit trees may bear less fruit. Otherwise, the butterfly and its caterpillars are not dangerous to humans.
Should I fight web moths in the tree?
A controlis not absolutely necessary, as the plants recover quickly on their own. The infestation is usually only discovered with the many webs, when it is already too late for control measures. If you want to secure your fruit tree harvest, you can do this:
- Check the tree early for egg layers
- spray with neem oil in April
- immediately cut off the first entangled shoots
- dispose of as residual waste
- Collect caterpillars manually
Tip
Attention: Not all caterpillar webs are harmless
Cornered caterpillars on oak trees are not as harmless as web moth caterpillars. This is the oak processionary moth pest. The caterpillars' poisonous stinging hairs can cause respiratory and skin irritation.
