Silver birch covered in a film.

[White Noise]

Cool its on an Alder we got coming up soon. Mind you its up for a fell .

[sihart100]

thats exactly what it looked like on the birches, trees looked in perfect condition except film.

 

cheers si

[Dean Lofthouse]

I think they are ermine moths, there was a tree nearby here that was covered, they eat the leaves and the caterpillas spin the web but the tree didn't suffere any ill effects, it regenerated no probs

 

Ermine moth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[arbwork]

seen the other day on a walk near woburn on birch , most of trunk covered

[morten]

I have seen the exact same thing on a Bird Cherry (Prunus Padus), in Denmark (August 2009).

At the base of the tree, there were something that resembles a termite's nest (see picture).

 

Do anyone know what species of insect makes it?

 

I guess, then, that the moth that made the web on my Bird Cherry was the Bird-cherry Ermine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Incredible, that there is a moth species that only lives on a relatively rare tree such as the Bird Cherry.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I guess, then, that the moth that made the web on my Bird Cherry was the Bird-cherry Ermine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Incredible, that there is a moth species that only lives on a relatively rare tree such as the Bird Cherry.

 

relativley rare tree? are we sure? native? prunus padus?

 

sorry, i see you live in copenhagen! maybe not so common for you then!

Edited April 18, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[treequip]

relativley rare tree? are we sure? native? prunus padus?

 

It might be less common in Denmark

[treemeup]

had that on a lime not too long ago....was a little apprehensive about going up in case i got swarmed by spiders

[Ranger Al]

Looks like Ermine moth to me. One of our LNR's in Cheshire has several birches covered in the stuff. Check out the latest Essential Arb mag. Good article with pics of a cemetery literally COVERED in the stuff. Like a scene from a film.! Lack of predators to eat the caterpillars this year due to the severe winter cold, so you may all be finding more of the stuff this summer.!

[Calyw]

I've just returned from holiday in the Cairngorms in Scotland. I saw a huge number of Silver Birch covered in webs, many of which contained young caterpillars, the trees were completely stripped and many were dead.

When I commented on it to one of the locals, I was told that the infestation extends for several miles along the mountain and up through Glenlivet and that the matter had been brought to the attention of the local council but no action has been taken.