Getting rid of processionary caterpillars.

Since writing about these pests on Wednesday I've been doing a bit of research to learn how to get rid of them.  As well as Turkey, many areas of France, Spain and Portugal are plagued with these caterpillars and the standard treatment is either to cut down the nests and burn them, which is feasible only if they are in low lying branches, or to drop insecticide by plane which kills all the insect life to the detriment of every bird and animal that feed off them.  By chance I saw an article about an area near Marmaris in Southern Turkey where the Forestry Department are having success with a natural method.   If I understood the process correctly,  about 250 nests full of caterpillars are collected and put together in an open space, a moat is then dug around them and filled with water to create an island.  The stranded caterpillars can't leave and start to die and attract flies (or maybe breed flies, it wasn't clear) which feed on the caterpillars and once they've eaten all on the island, go off and eat the ones in and around the surrounding trees. I tried to find out more about this method but didn't have any success so I'd love to hear from anyone who knows more.

Dog owners beware - the Processionary Pine Caterpillar is on the move

Walking in Hydra today I came across these caterpillars, nose to tail,  on the path. The uninitiated may be tempted to take a closer look but those in the know will give them a wide berth.  These are dastardly creatures which fire dust and spines at you if you get too close. At best this causes an irritation but children and allergic adults can be taken very ill.  If your dog gets near them and shows any signs of discomfort please head straight for the vet. Dogs can sniff the spines up into their nostrils    or walk over the caterpillars and get stung. Once the dog licks its paws, the poison gets into its mouth. This can be fatal or the dog can lose part of its tongue.  So if you are walking in an area with pine trees, look up and see if there are any of the nests in the trees. If so, I'd keep your dog on a short lead and watch where you step.