HELP! Calling all gardening experts

poppie123

I have no idea what this bush is called but for 12 years it has been happily growing. In the summer it always attracts the bees.

Today i noticed that parts of it are covered in what looks like cobwebs and those parts are dying.







Does anyone...

a) Know what the bush is called.

b) Know what is wrong with it

c) Know what to do?

Thanks

izzwizz_2

a) could it be a pyracantha?
b) it looks like you have an infestation of brown hairy caterpillars to me (look closely at the plants underneath the cobwebby stuff). If so, you need to do something about this quickly or they could eat right through everything in their path.
c) cut off the affected branches and burn?

izzwizz_2

meant to say, cover up, wear gloves and a mask because these hairy caterpillars give off irritant chemicals in their hairs

see this from this time last year:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1189685/Plague-hairy-caterpillars-cause-rashes-headaches-breathing-problems-invades-Britain.html

izzwizz_2

Sorry, me again. I noticed that article was about an outbreak in Wiltshire. I have seen these in Kent & Cornwall.

billieboy_2

I think the plant is a cotoneaster but I don't know what the problem with it is.

poppie123

izzwizz wrote: »

meant to say, cover up, wear gloves and a mask because these hairy caterpillars give off irritant chemicals in their hairs

see this from this time last year:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1189685/Plague-hairy-caterpillars-cause-rashes-headaches-breathing-problems-invades-Britain.html

Oh s**t, too late for that i was out there this morning hacking away at it. I hope i am ok

Definately baby caterpillars underneath the webs just had a look. I think the bush/plant whatever it is is beyond saving. I'm going to have to get someone in to dig it all up, too much of it is affected.

Kay_Peel

There was a similar phenomenon last year especially in Devon

You have a very beautiful Cotoneaster there.

They tend to get very woody if left unpruned. The moths have taken advantage of the old wood as a structure for their webs. You've done exactly the right thing in cutting out all those old branches. You could also prune out a few more - especially old ones that are bare of leaves, near to the main trunk. It will leave your cotoneaster much more healthy and vigorous - and it won't be so attractive to the brown moth in future.

It isn't lost and won't need digging up - it's going to get much better!

:beer:

poppie123

I am not sure what to do? nearly everypart of it has a web on it somewhere.

There is far too much dead wood for me to cut away and if i take away every part that has a web on it then there would be nothing left of it at all.:eek:

Kay_Peel

The webs aren't doing any harm. Don't worry about them. The main thing is to prune out the dead wood.

My cotoneasters always have webs on them. They look spectacular in frost and dewy mornings.

poppie123

Kay_Peel wrote: »

The webs aren't doing any harm. Don't worry about them. The main thing is to prune out the dead wood.

But the baby caterpillars are eating the whole thing, if i leave it surely there will be nothing left of it, they are working their way along it

Sorry for all the questions but i have only just got into gardening and at the moment i am pretty hopeless.:)

zarazara

cotoneaster or maybe a pyracantha. The web is ermine moth catterpillars. There a re a lot of them about this year. Do nothing. let them feed and pupate. the bush should put up new leaves later in the year and should be ok.