A warning for Londoners ( and those travelling abroad!)

[Nicos]

Oak processionary moths....

Health warnings after toxic caterpillar outbreak in London - BBC News

I saw these for the first time in Brittany last March and locals were warning us not to go near them...especially people walking their dogs through the woods in the locality!.

strange how they walk nose to tail...

[veggiechicken]

Whilst pondering whether to post this in Wildlife or Pests, you decided for me! Thanks Nicos.
They sound horrible - hope they don't find my oak trees.

[Nicos]

There are pine ones too!
The oak are blackish and the pine ones have more brown on them...but I think they may be similar.
Not good news for dog owners ....can you imagine getting those spines in their nose or paws????

[Martin H]

Oak processionary moths....

Health warnings after toxic caterpillar outbreak in London - BBC News
strange how they walk nose to tail...

I read once that if you can get the procession to walk around the rim of a bucket, you can remove the lead caterpillar and join up a complete circle of them. They then keep on walking round and round until they stop from exhaustion.

I've never tried it, obviously.

[sparrow100]

We have regular Forestry Commission inspections. Our site has 22 oaks on it and there have been outbreaks close by. Same at the stables, though the oak there is 15-20m outside the outbreak radius so they refused to look at it...

Most of the woods round here now have warning signs up.

[Jay22]

They look like the kind of caterpillar that you would pick up, or a child would pick up...they look cute!