As if covered by a veil… Between April and June, some bird cherries appear like spooky ghost trees. The so-called spider moth was most likely at work here. Here's what you should know about her.

The choosy nature of the spider moth

The spider moth is a moth from the spider and bud moth family. It has silvery-white fore wings and grey-brown hind wings. In addition to the silvery color, spider moths are easy to recognize by their black spots.

But what is so bad about this little animal for some gardeners? The larvae of the spider moth feed mainly and preferably on the bird cherry. They are choosy, specialize in the bird cherry and only rarely infest cherries and other fruit trees.

What does the spider moth do with the bird cherry?

After mating, the female spider moths lay their eggs on the winter buds of the bird cherry between late summer and autumn. The caterpillars hatched from the eggs overwinter under the bud scales.

In the spring they wake up and eat the buds or freshly sprouted leaves, which are poisonous for us humans, bare. This is usually the case by the end of May/beginning of June.

And then?

  • the caterpillars spin the entire tree to protect themselves from predators and rain
  • the tree appears like a ghost tree or covered with silvery cobwebs
  • the caterpillars pupate in community webs (usually on the trunk)
  • in July they hatch and have become moths

A nuisance that should be destroyed?

Don't worry, the caterpillars eat the bird cherry bare, but the plant will sprout again. This is the so-called Johannistrieb. By midsummer at the latest, the bird cherry no longer looks bare.

You can get to grips with the spider moth. But chemical clubs are less recommended for environmental reasons. On the other hand, there are around 80 different insects that eat the spider moths and prevent them from spreading. These include assassin bugs and parasitic wasps.(22.99€)

tips and tricks

Another method that is in your own hands is to collect the animals in good time from the wood of the bird cherry in the event of an infestation.

Category:

Vegetable garden