Processionary Caterpillars (1 Viewer)

[billkce]

For those of you who have never seen them, attached photos of Processionary Caterpillars, seen this morning at Camping Cabopino, near Marbella.

Even though the campsite has sprayed the pine trees, this batch of about 100 were seen escaping today. All they want to do is find some earth & burrough down. However, with all the tarmac around, they find it difficult & sometimes travel across pitches.

They are extremely harmful to pets & can give a human a nasty cough & itch, as they each have up to 50000 microscopic hairs.

It is advisable not to touch them & keep your eyes out for the next month or so. Keep your pets safe.

 

[Gromett]

& keep your eyes out for the next month or so.

Misread this bit and had mental images of people keeping their eyes in a glass in the bathroom like grannies teeth.

Isn't english an amazing language two apparently identical phrases can be misread at first glance. Keep an eye out and keep your eyes out..

Not criticising just thought it was funny.

thanks for the photo's

 

[Rayb182]

We have them in Zahora, best thing for them when they go across the road..................................................BLOW LAMP.

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[JJ]

Ok Funsters... I need help with this topic...

I had never heard of these caterpillars until visiting Zahora last year...

Now I have actually seen these fearsome creatures... they looked cute to me...

Just how dangerous are they to pets and us?

Has any one had first hand experience of them?

Are they as dangerous as filling your own gas bottles or not having a gas attack alarm or plugging in you EHU in the wrong sequence or driving in Spain with an A Frame or reverse polarity?

JJ :Cool:

 

[old-mo]

There was acouple at Zahora,,, JJ with two (2) beautiful German Shepherds... one of them happened to sniff/lick or whatever...

A "VERY" quick visit to the vets just saved his/her life...

I have heard, (Not sure how true it is) that the dog was taken unwell on the way back home..

Not heard anything since but to a dog they can be "FATAL".. in so much as the hairs get stuck in their mouths or whatever and the vital organs if not treated within a few hours can swell up and the end result does not bare thinking about...

I have a photo taken on the plot next to me of about 100 of the little gritters in a line leading to a pile of them and I kid you not there must have beed 2/300..

If touched by humans you can get a nasty itching rash that is uncomfortable and can last a long time ,,, as in weeks.

Hope this answers your question... they are all over Spain at the momemnt in "Fir Tree`s..

And are worse in Feb/March.. :Angry:

 

[JJ]

There was acouple at Zahora,,, JJ with two (2) beautiful German Shepherds... one of them happened to sniff/lick or whatever...

A "VERY" quick visit to the vets just saved his/her life...

I have heard, (Not sure how true it is) that the dog was taken unwell on the way back home..

Not heard anything since but to a dog they can be "FATAL".. in so much as the hairs get stuck in their mouths or whatever and the vital organs if not treated within a few hours can swell up and the end result does not bare thinking about...

I have a photo taken on the plot next to me of about 100 of the little gritters in a line leading to a pile of them and I kid you not there must have beed 2/300..

If touched by humans you can get a nasty itching rash that is uncomfortable and can last a long time ,,, as in weeks.

Hope this answers your question... they are all over Spain at the momemnt in "Fir Tree`s..

And are worse in Feb/March.. :Angry:

Right...

So this person's dog nearly died but didn't...

This is the closest I have had to a first hand experience... Thanks for the info Mo...

Any other ones to tell me about to help me overcome my ignorance?

JJ :Cool:

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[ericonabike]

An authoritative source?

Being somwhat wary of 'internet myths' myself I searched and came up with this source - Link Removed - which seems very logical and persuasive.

 

[old-mo]

Right...

So this person's dog nearly died but didn't...

This is the closest I have had to a first hand experience... Thanks for the info Mo...

Any other ones to tell me about to help me overcome my ignorance?

JJ :Cool:

I understand JJ it was a close run thing...

And left any longer and the dog would have died or had to be put down...

If an animal/dog does touch lick or sniff,,, you literally have a few hours to seek vetinary help..

Animals being inquisitive find them and nose and lick them and the little hairs get stuck or stick in the mouths and the tounge swells up dramatically and the rest dont bare thinking about.. as the toxins travel to other vital organs...

I informed one of the groundsmen/workers who came along and scooped them up with a long handled brush and bin and took them away a "Burnt" Them...

 

[Hollyberry]

Not an internet myth. They are extremely dangerous to animals, children and adults alike.

Never ever let kids collect them!! They can cause a nasty rash, very painful and can cause a reaction similar to anaphylactic shock (breathing problems, swelling etc..)

Any animal affected needs to go to a vet pronto. Do not hang about.

Child affected should be taken for medical help.

The wretched caterpillars live in pine trees--their nests look like fine cotton wool and as said, they leave the nests looking to bury into soil.

They are vile things and worth being wary of. The only way to get rid of them is to cut the nest down using protective clothing, gauntlets, face covering (think bee keeping outfit) and burn the bl**** things.

Thanks for the warning.

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[JJ]

I really am not trying to start a fight over this... honestly...

I have just had a severe telling off from a French Princess very close to me (and the French were winning something at the time so it can't have been that causing the trouble) who receives letters of warnings from officials about these little pests and has known about them for ages but...

... she was not able to give me any first hand experience re the matter...

Ok... I don't have, nor know anyone who has had, first hand experience of a nuclear bomb but I still believe it to be a very dangerous thing...

...but caterpillars... what is wrong with me... why do I still have little, teeny weeny doubts?

JJ :Cool:

(Guess who is going to get attacked at Marjal by a line of killer caterpillars now...)

 

[madbluemad]

Are these things only found in Spain?.
Jim

 

[JJ]

Are these things only found in Spain?.
Jim

I am told they are a nuisance in the South of France too...

JJ :Cool:

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[JJ]

Thanks ericonabike for the link... :thumb:

I don't always opened links but I did this one...

The information supplied there was very interesting...

Call me dumb, stubborn and stupid (all undeniably true) but I won't be losing any sleep over the dangers of these things to me or my loved ones...

I will not be picking any up or "ingesting" their tiny hairs nor will I be poking any sticks into wasps' nests or rolling naked in stinging nettles either...

JJ :Cool:

 

[MaidinDevon]

Hi all

They are on the Algarve too. We found a nest very close to Chicken Run which Andrew destroyed, but apparently there are lots of them in the hills.

Karen

 

[keith]

Ok Funsters... I need help with this topic...

I had never heard of these caterpillars until visiting Zahora last year...

Now I have actually seen these fearsome creatures... they looked cute to me...

Just how dangerous are they to pets and us?

Has any one had first hand experience of them?

Are they as dangerous as filling your own gas bottles or not having a gas attack alarm or plugging in you EHU in the wrong sequence or driving in Spain with an A Frame or reverse polarity?

JJ :Cool:

Ok JJ you can have it from someone who has suffered with these cute caterpillars.

In 2005 I arrived on a site to find they were about to spray the little blighter's and we were told to stay in the van or get off site while it was going to be sprayed.

Next day I put up the awning and after that ........... see the picture below.

It's the hairs that that spread out once the caterpillars are dead, and they have barbs on them so stick into your skin.

I was like this for a month and they itch like hell.

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[PenelopePitstop]

JJ - Listen to little sis please!!​

These caterpillars are nasty little creatures and I do have first hand experience of them!

1) A few years ago I developed a bad rash - by tracing back to what I had worn on a particular day we decided a caterpillar has been on my washing on the line - the hairs had stayed on the blouse which I had hung inside out - all my rash coincided with where that blouse had touched my skin!

2) The dog Old-Mo spoke about belongs to a friend of ours - young German Shepherd it is. He was rushed to the vet hospital in Conil and only survived because of the quick actions taken by the vet staff. He is now back home in UK and fully recovered - just wrecks laptops these days now he can't find caterpillars!

This was the first incidence of a dog being affected by the caterpillars at Pinar San Jose. Most of the dogs on here are quite old and not as inquisitive as the puppy this year - apparently young dogs are more at risk than old ones.

There have been quite a few instances of people developing rashes - this rash usually only lasts a few days although it can in some cases be quite severe!

The trees here are sprayed every year and we don't really have too much of a problem - it would be a lot worse if the spraying didn't happen!
Any caterpillars seen are usually sprayed with hairspray and then burnt - the hairspray stops the hairs flying about!

 

[JJ]

Thanks for that Keith... at last... real proof...

Question... did you have your shirt off when you unrolled the awning so the hair fell directly onto your skin or can they get through shirts etc too?

JJ :Cool:

PS... you strike a fine figure of a man with that chest Keith... shame about those blotches... no wonder you respect the little beasts... must have been the only thing stopping the girls from mobbing you...

 

[old-mo]

JJ - Listen to little sis please!!​

These caterpillars are nasty little creatures and I do have first hand experience of them!

1) A few years ago I developed a bad rash - by tracing back to what I had worn on a particular day we decided a caterpillar has been on my washing on the line - the hairs had stayed on the blouse which I had hung inside out - all my rash coincided with where that blouse had touched my skin!

2) The dog Old-Mo spoke about belongs to a friend of ours - young German Shepherd it is. He was rushed to the vet hospital in Conil and only survived because of the quick actions taken by the vet staff. He is now back home in UK and fully recovered - just wrecks laptops these days now he can't find caterpillars!

This was the first incidence of a dog being affected by the caterpillars at Pinar San Jose. Most of the dogs on here are quite old and not as inquisitive as the puppy this year - apparently young dogs are more at risk than old ones.

There have been quite a few instances of people developing rashes - this rash usually only lasts a few days although it can in some cases be quite severe!

The trees here are sprayed every year and we don't really have too much of a problem - it would be a lot worse if the spraying didn't happen!
Any caterpillars seen are usually sprayed with hairspray and then burnt - the hairspray stops the hairs flying about!

There you go JJ, you dont have to believe what I write...

You have it straight from the horses mouth.... so as to speak.... :Cool:

Love you Marie.
XXXXX

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[JJ]

and exactly WHAT is my baby sister doing posting from old-mo's computer?

...Just what is going on at that Zahora place?

JJ :Cool:

 

[keith]

Thanks for that Keith... at last... real proof...

Question... did you have your shirt off when you unrolled the awning so the hair fell directly onto your skin or can they get through shirts etc too?

JJ :Cool:

PS... you strike a fine figure of a man with that chest Keith... shame about those blotches... no wonder you respect the little beasts... must have been the only thing stopping the girls from mobbing you...

Yes the shirt was off JJ on a warm day so no protection as I put the awning up.

Spraying may slow them down but as the infestation is carried out by moths in the summer months any area will contain many nests by the time winter arrives. At Zahora for instance, we are surrounded by the pine forest so the chance of eradication is just about nil, unless they can spray the whole forest.

Just be aware out there and understand the effects these pests can bring.

One point is to remember not to stamp on them if you see any, as you may carry their hairs into your van.

 

[PenelopePitstop]

There you go JJ, you dont have to believe what I write...

You have it straight from the horses mouth.... so as to speak.... :Cool:

Love you Marie.
XXXXX

MO!!! You cheeky *********!!

Anyway I had to re-inforce what you told him - when did anyone ever believe what you tell them???

Love you too xx:smalllove:

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[PenelopePitstop]

and exactly WHAT is my baby sister doing posting from old-mo's computer?

...Just what is going on at that Zahora place?

JJ :Cool:

WHAT????

Old-Mo isn't even here anymore! He escaped some time ago

 

[laneside]

Hey JJ if you want to see magic, then next time you see a long line of there beasties take about a good handful out of the middle of the line.

The front of the line stops instantly while the back catches up and it does not move off again until the line is complete-------Honest

 

[old-mo]

MO!!! You cheeky *********!!

Anyway I had to re-inforce what you told him - when did anyone ever believe what you tell them???

Love you too xx:smalllove:

Hand on heart...

I honestly dont know why no one believes what I say....

Pure as the driven snow,,,, is I...

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[Gromett]

Hey JJ if you want to see magic, then next time you see a long line of there beasties take about a good handful out of the middle of the line.

The front of the line stops instantly while the back catches up and it does not move off again until the line is complete-------Honest

 

[keith]

Hey JJ if you want to see magic, then next time you see a long line of there beasties take about a good handful out of the middle of the line.

The front of the line stops instantly while the back catches up and it does not move off again until the line is complete-------Honest

I have heard it said that if you can join the front and back of the line they will go round forever, or until they die.

 

[old-mo]

Dont believe Marie,,, JJ... this was taken this afternoon after Marie and I had a game of "Paddle Ball".... :thumb:

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[old-mo]

Forgot photo... oh:

 

[oldfozzie]

Right...

So this person's dog nearly died but didn't...

This is the closest I have had to a first hand experience... Thanks for the info Mo...

Any other ones to tell me about to help me overcome my ignorance?

JJ :Cool:

we live part of the year in Spain and have had them on our land.
They are usually fatal to pets ( dogs and cats who breath in the small hairs they expel), these same hairs will give a VERY nasty rash to humans; a young boy who we know was hospitalised!
They have very cute looking nests in pine trees, hanging balls like big cobwebs. As we have dogs I went through our land ( over 2 hectares) with a chain saw and a ox of matches to get rid of all the pine trees.
Please beware, they really are nasty B******s!!!

 

[JJ]

Hey JJ if you want to see magic, then next time you see a long line of there beasties take about a good handful out of the middle of the line.

The front of the line stops instantly while the back catches up and it does not move off again until the line is complete-------Honest

I have heard it said that if you can join the front and back of the line they will go round forever, or until they die.

Reads like brilliant fun... I must remember to pack my special industrial gloves kindly supplied by one of my sponsors the Dellwood and Scran International Supply Company...

... do these caterpillars attack little frogs?

JJ :Cool:

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