Kitchen Garden Forum

Was summer pruning a cordon pear today when I noticed what I thought at first was a dense cobweb full of black fly. On closer examination it was a tent created by about half a dozen orange caterpillars with black heads. What I'd taken to be black fly were their droppings. They've been dealt with, but can anyone advise what they were?

Hi Ken

Sound like the Social Pear Sawfly.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/natureplus/thread/ ... teway=true

Many thanks, PJ. Looks very much as if you are right. I'll take another look today as there may be bits of the tent left, and what I took to be poo may be further eggs... All best, Ken