These nasty little creatures are on their way again. Pine Processionary Caterpillars (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth of the Thaumetopoeidae family. We see them all over the island, wherever there are pine trees.
Spotting Them Early
You will see cotton wool like cocoons in the branches of pines. You should contact the council at this stage to ask about getting the nests removed.
The Dangers
The real danger is when they leave the cocoon and start their march. These caterpillars form a marching line on their way to find a place to bury themselves before becoming the adult moth, which are harmless.
It is the hairs on these caterpillars can cause serious skin irritation and even death if ingested. So its of the imperative that you keep your children and pets away from them.
You may be gardening and start raking under these trees, then find yourself coming up in an itchy red rash, or itchy eyes, even though the caterpillars are not obvious, the hairs that cause the irritation can still be among the debris.
I once saw a family with a young child, who thought that they were fascinating and would have gone to pick some up, if I had not seen them to warn them off! So please don´t be shy of telling visitors to the island of the dangers.
Be Careful With Pets
Dogs in particular are susceptible to these caterpillars, my daughter has a dog who likes to play and eat thing he should not, so the best thing is to walk them well away from any Pines, so if you normally walk through the woods with your dog, then think about taking him somewhere more open or away from the pines.
What Should You do if you Have Pines with these nests in? The earlier you spot these the better, the caterpillars are smaller and easier to get rid of.
Calvia Council have a programme for controlling the spread of the caterpillars, the main focus is on areas such as schools.
Find out more about what Calvia Council are doing to stop the spread of the caterpillars.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_processionary
http://calvia.com/responsive/general.plt?KNOTICIA=3758&KIDIOMA=3&KNODE=2