urghhhh!

[Diane]

Wasnt sure where to put this post.

Was checking out the new bird seed bed, seeing if anything has started to grow yet and saw this ugly thing in the bushes at the side.

bugs 003.jpg

My first thought was, prune and destroy! Then I noticed there were quite a few of these things scattered in the bushes.
Then I wondered if this would be live food suitable for the birds? So I spent several minutes poking through it, not a pleasant several minutes I might add. Its very granular (bit like millet) and webby, couldnt see any crawlies in there or on the bushes.
Now for the details
The bushes I found these in are called Melaleuca diosmifolia (Green Honey Myrtle) pic looks a bit like a green bottle brush type flower, not that I can recall seeing any flowers on these bushes last year.

bugs.jpg

Any ideas on what to do with these...whatever they are?

[finchbreeder]

Diane you could try cutting/pruning one out and taking it to the local Ag Dept. they may be able to identify it and advise if it would be good/bad for the finches and/or the Meleluca.
Looks a bit like a hairy grub nest/web?
LML

[GregH]

Looks like insect damage girdling the branch (something like a stem borer but eats the living bark layer). It would be good for the birds to eat if they could get it but not so good for the plant. If you can't locate the grub after removing the tent then prune it out and destroy it.

[VR1Ton]

They look like the used nest of webbing caterpillar, or procession caterpillars, the webbing contains the frass (crap) of the caterpillars, you can prune them out or hit them with a high pressure cleaner, but finding the actual grub can be quit difficult. If you can you can use carbryl or similar, but you'd have to treat the whole area they are in. On the flowering front, they are a termial flowering plant with the flowers emerging from the new growth with the leaves emerging first then the flowers open. It is a spring flowering plant so a regular light prune towrads the end of summer would be benificial in keeping growth dense and to promote new growth through autumn & winter for flowering in spring. If you gave it a prune now it would reduce the flowering, but would give good growth through the warmer months.

[Diane]

I did think it looked like some kind of caterpillar poop! Glad I used a stick!
Slash and burn then eh!
If I get rid of them I might not have as many of those furry black and brown caterpillars in the garden.

[jusdeb]

Ew destroy destroy...

[teg33]

Ew destroy destroy...

DESTROY :p

[Tintola]

VR1ton is spot-on with all that he posted. They have probably done the damage, (eat the leaves) and have pupated, turned into moths/butterflies and gone. Hose or scrape debris off, monitor if they return and then treat them if they do.

[VR1Ton]

Forgot to mention that some of the Melaleucas, as well as other natives, can take several year before they flower, particularly if grown from seed.