Brown Tail Moth

A quite common species of European moth, classed as a public health pest due to the larvae possessing highly irritant shedding hairs. They will commonly infest ornamental and fruit trees and also seem to have a particular liking to Blackthorn. The identifying features are the presence of tent like structures in the infested food plant, large scale damage due to the voracious caterpillars and the caterpillars themselves. The larvae are dark, hairy and with two lines of white and one line of red spots. You are unlikely to see the adult moths.

Control should be carried out with caution as shed larval hairs can cause severe itchy rashes and can irritate eyes and respiratory passages. Winter webbing tents can be cut out and burnt but once the larvae are active an insecticidal treatment will need to be carried out. Hillbans Pest Control are qualified to use DiPel DF to spray the leaves of infested plants. This specialist treatment uses Bacillus thuringiensis as it's active ingredient and, whilst highly effective against Browntail moth, is harmless to mammals, birds and non-target insects.

Note there are a number of other moth that create webbing; notably the Ermine moth and the Lakey moth. Expert identification should be sought prior to treatment being carried out.