How can we save these moth eggs?

[Sue Pitcher]

Hello everybody. Really hope you can help us out. We have put a badminton net up in the garden (near Rye, E Sussex) we've discovered that moths have been laying eggs on it. It has at least 7 large groups of moth eggs, some cream, some brown, some white, millions in each patch, on the netting. We are worried that when the eggs hatch (into what? tiny caterpillars?) that they will have nothing to eat. I would be frightened to move the eggs in case they were damaged and also would not know where to move them to.
Any advice / suggestions very gratefully received.
Thanks!

[poschiavanus]

Hi Sue,

Welcome to WAB.

There has been a recent discussion about this, although most people seem to get them on trampoline nets. There's probably something of use in this thread.

I'm sure there will be more expert advice from others soon.

poschiavanus

[Sue Pitcher]

Thanks. These are definitely moth eggs - we saw one moth laying them.

[naturegirl]

Hi Sue and a very warm welcome to WAB!

Do you know what moth it was that laid the eggs?

I live fairly near to Rye and went to school there many years ago!

Naturegirl

[Sue Pitcher]

I'm so glad you responded - I had noticed that you were close by in Romney Marsh. There were at least two moths (different colour eggs). I saw one laying which was dark brown with black spots. My nature nut 9 year old son says he thinks its a yellow underwing but that seems to have black patches not spots. One caterpillar hatched today - it was minute! A friend down the road has just taken three huge mystery caterpillars to be identified at Rye Harbour nature reserve and was told they were elephant hawk moths - very exciting. Sadly we don't have them...

[naturegirl]

Hi neighbour Sue!

You say that you don't have Elephant hawmoths, I bet you do!

They are a very common moth and the larvae are being spotted like mad at the moment as they are fully grown and looking for suitable soil to burrow into to pupate. That is why people spot them at this time of year as they go 'walkabout'. They have been munching away for ages but no one sees them, unless it is on your Fuschias!!!!!

Going back to your caterpillars, generally speaking, nettles and Buddleiah are universal food for most larvae. Fruit tree leaves are good too. When you pick any of these, re-cut the stem and place into fresh, cold water for an hour or so to 'condition' it. This will enable it to take up maximum water and give it a good start. It is what Florists do with flowers to make them last. If you can, put some into a block of wet Florist's Oasis foam, this way the larvae will not fall into water in a jar and the foodplant will stay fresh for ages.

I always used to put the whole thing into a plastic fish tank to contain them. It was easy to keep an eye on them too if kept in the kitchen.

You may think that there were 2 different moths laying eggs but, if one lot were laid first then another came along later then they would be at different stages of maturity. Eggs are light coloured at first but darken as the larvae matures inside it. They will then hatch and eat the egg shell ( a good food source) before moving off to find their foodplant. Normally the moth would lay it's eggs on the foodplant but if the female is 'busting' to lay then it will do so on the nearest object, unusual though. I have heard a Fox moth laying as it flew in my local woods one night, scatteringing them everywhere.

Hope this has been of help to you. Please message me if I can be of further help.

Naturegirl

[Sue Pitcher]

Thanks very much Naturegirl for all that great info. Very interesting to know about the eggs changing colour and also using florist's oasis - a good way to avoid the odd drowning. Will let you know what they turn into.