The Pine Processionary. ๐ฑ DEADLY TO ANIMALS ๐ฑ
Hi Steem Fam!
A few days back I noticed some dead areas in the ends of some branches in my pine trees. I didnโt get to investigate closer for a few days as its been raining off and on but today the rain had stopped and It was time to check them out I was just in time. As the photos revealed these areas were full of the dreaded Processionary catapillars. The Pine Processionary is a moth of the Thaumetopoeidae family and is extremely destructive to pines and cedars in Southern Europe as well as North Africa and Central Asia.
Incredibly the female moth only lives for around one day during which short time it must mate and lay its eggs in a pine tree. They can lay up to 300 eggs which will hatch around one month later. These catapillars can completely defoliate a tree if they are present in big enough quantities. They are referred to as processionary as when they leave the host tree they walk very close to one another in a processionary line.
The hairs of the catapillar are extremely dangerous to humans and animals. They are a serious threat to dogs and cats here in Spain. They eject their poisonous hairs if they feel under threat and many animals have died as a result of this. Symptoms to be aware of are difficulties breathing, foaming mouths and vomiting. Animals should be taken immediately to a vet if found to be suffering such symptoms. It is common for animals to require amputation of noses or tongues to prevent poison reaching the throat at which point suffocation would ensue. In humans too they can cause extreme suffering through dermatitis and severe allergic reaction.
Wearing gloves and with great care I cut these infested areas out of my tree and disposed of the branch tips. Some people choose to burn such nests out of trees and it is very effective I understand but I felt happier removing them first from the tree before destroying with fire in a confined space.
I feel a lot happier now having checked and cleaned all my pine trees - I found another tree with a couple of nests too that had to be removed. Luckily not all my pine trees were showing signs of them but i shall be keeping a super close eye out in case I have overlooked any anywhere!!!
I hope you are having a good weekend so far and wish you a super fun Sunday tomorrow. โค๏ธ
That is horrible. That is one serious pest. We will probably get them here eventually. :-(
Thanks Mike, yes not nice at all. I hope they donโt spread so far.
Wow great spot and also, I had never heard of this type of caterpillar so thank you for the great informative knowledge! But, wow that sounds destructive and it sucks for other animals and plants it comes in contact with. Itโs great you have spotted it and Removed the affected area! Iโm sure you have saved some animals and plants in the process :) have a great day x โค๏ธ๐ด๐ โฐ
Thanks for such a great comment. They are super destructive yes and having animals close by means ignoring them isnโt an option. I found a few more smaller nests today that I had overlooked yesterday so itโs a case of keeping an ever vigilant eye. You have a great day too x๐ฆ๐๐ด๐๐
Thank you so much for posting the photos @sallybeth23! We've heard about them but never seen what to look out for so your post is hugely important to us! We have a couple of pine trees on our land, not close to the house thankfully but we'll be keeping an eye on them for sure.
It's horrible to have to burn the nests but... in this case, it has to be done.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :) xx
Hi Sally. It is very important to know about these catapillars yes. I disposed of them as soon as I saw them although they wouldnโt be leaving the trees until spring time the sooner they are gone the better in my opinion. The thought of your dearest Sir Maxelot running into them is just unthinkable! ๐๐ฆ๐๐ด๐๐
Hi Sallybeth,
Ah yes these hairy caterpillars - amazing - terrible if a dog was to sniff one! Fantastic shots of their nest.
Yes indeed truly devastating if your animals get involved with these little critters!!
Thats a lot of work to do and requires knowledge like yours :) In my case I wouldnt understand whats going on when I see a similar tree.
Thanks for you comment @hanen. Living with animals as I do I have to take particular care. ๐ฆ๐๐ด๐๐
Looks like you got those awful processionaries out in time before they started scaling down the tree! Definitely worth going back and checking after a few days to make sure none are left behind. Horrible things!
Great informational post and photos to identify them. They aren't so visible from afar so good to see what their nests look like!
Thanks very much for your comment. Itโs good to be on the look out for these guys for sure. ๐ฆ๐ด๐๐๐
Good catch Sallybeth!! Oh my goodness what a pesky species of caterpillar you have there in South Spain. Goodness gracious! Burn those crawlies up! If only it was that easy to burn up the pesky politicians and banksters that have life on this planet under their thumb
.... oooooh!!! (Shakes fist!!) If only!! Will say prayers to end their unwelcome invasion. ๐คฌ
Where was I ๐... And, i hope your Caterpillar invasion doesn't cause you too much grief. Be careful with those little devils! It sounds like you are taking proper precautions. Better to be safe than sorry! Thanks for your insightfulness towards these harmful creatures. Poisonous hairs!! Good grief!
Thanks @yogajill I think I have got the better of them for now. ๐ฆ๐๐ด๐๐
This is quite scary! Poisonous to animals, humans and kill off trees! I wonder if these were left here by dine nasty aliens from the fifth dimension.
Good job that you knew what to do! Those poisonous needles!
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THanks for your comment - they sure are nasty! โค๏ธ๐๐๐ฆ๐ด
wow to think that it can harm people too, i couldn't imagine it
Truly not nice little critters ๐๐ด๐๐