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Cotoneaster pest. Have I done enough?

B3B3 Posts: 27,505
in Plants
cotoneaster on one side of my garden had webs with dead leaves and black spots ( frass?) underneath. I have cut off all of the diseased bits and binned them. Kept everything away from the healthy one on the other side.
Can't see any bugs. Have they been and gone? Really don't want to spray it but even if I did, there's nothing alive that I can see.
Is there anything else I should do?
In London. Keen but lazy.
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  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @B3 The only problem I associate with Cotoneaster is Fire Blight. I am not sure it is something I have ever seen but it is certainly possible.
    I think all you can do is wait to see if there is any progression of the problem. 
    I had a large branch of Cotoeaster die at the base over winter the bark had split and I assume it was very wet conditions followed by cold weather. It started to recover quickly.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I've never had pests or diseases on any cotoneaster. Have you got a photo?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Apparently it's cotoneaster webber caterpillars. RHS says prune affected bits, which I did. It also suggests encouraging birds. It's sparrow city out there. Fat lot of good they've been 🙄
    Thanks @GardenerSuze. Your post have me a clue where to start looking.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505

    I chopped it all off. There's pics on Google. @Fairygirl
    https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/cotoneaster-webber-caterpillars
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    Oh no yet another one to add to the list. Thankyou for raising this new to me and something to look out for in the future. At least it doesn't seem as nasty as box caterpillar.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Interesting @B3. I have all sorts of cotoneaster - including horizontalis, and also blackthorn and hawthorn in the garden, and whitebeams are common round here too ,along with hawthorn hedging everywhere. 
    Maybe we don't get that moth up here though. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited August 2023
    I've had a diverse variety of moth pests this year😕
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I had a look and no - we don't get them here. North of Yorkshire they're pretty absent according to the info. 
    You'll just have to move  :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    The warm weather might move closer to you😏
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'll have to move further north if that happens  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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