Eerie hedge webs are nothing to fear

You may have noticed large sections of hedgerows covered in what appears to be Halloween-style webs.

These are made by the caterpillar of the Ermine Moth to protect itself from predators.

More frequently spotted this spring, the Ermine Moth appears in May and June.

Its caterpillars feed on the spring leaves of privet hedges, one of their favourite foods, though not exclusively.

As the caterpillars turn into the distinctive spotted white or grey moths over the summer, the hedgerows recover.

Although pest-like in appearance, they don’t affect hedges adversely as they recover and helps increase some of our moth species, which also helps to feed our birds and bats.