See what's causing trees to be covered in spooky giant white webs in Milton Keynes

The sudden spate of webbed wonders is no cause for alarm, say experts from The Parks Trust.

In fact, the whole phenomenon is down to an influx of small and harmless caterpillars.

The warmer weather during April appears to have caused a boom in the local Ermine moth population and, in some places, the creatures have taken over multiple trees with particularly gigantic webs stretching out across the ground too.

But very they will soon transform into delicate moths and flutter away by mid-summer, says The Parks Trust.

While their webs may look alarming, the caterpillars are harmless to humans – though it’s not recommend to touch them.

Some trees and hedges may lose a lot of leaves because of the influx of caterpillars, but generally there is no long-lasting damage and the plants usually recover.

Younger trees and saplings may fail to survive the winter if they have suffered from extensive defoliation, but the Trust’s experts are monitoring the situation and will manage the hot spot sites accordingly through their winter planting programme.

Carla Boswell, Biodiversity Officer at The Parks Trust, said: “These tiny creatures may seem like a nuisance in some places, but they’re an essential part of the local ecosystem. Their presence supports other wildlife and contributes to the natural balance of our green spaces”

You can find out more about this strange-looking natural process in The Parks Trust’s latest blog here.