Ermine moths wreak ‘unprecedented’ destruction on orchard

It isn’t the flying moths that cause harm to the apple tree but, in spring, the trees are encased in thick cobwebs with eggs and larvae which can cause them stress and the caterpillars of the apple ermine moth, which hatch in summer, can cause defoliation.

It can be treated using pesticides, something that Matilda Temperley is against.

“We’ll pray for a really, really freezing cold winter.

“We are looking at potentially losing trees that have have been nurtured for the last three, four or five decades.”

She does have one solution should the pests return next year.

“We’ll buy ducks next year to at least catch the caterpillars when they’re on the ground.

“We’ll hope that this is an anomaly but it looks like it might not be because just the sheer volume of moths that will be flying around laying eggs in the next few weeks will lead to a thousand-fold of a problem next year.”