An army of toxic caterpillars is on the march and poses a “hazard” to human health.
Some 255 people fell ill after a run-in with the creepy-crawlies last year, up from 56 in 2021.
The critters – from the larvae of oak processionary moths, which arrived here 17 years ago in a shipment of trees from Holland – have up to 60,000 toxic hairs.
Contact can cause skin rashes and asthma attacks, plus eye and throat irritation, vomiting and fever. The caterpillars, which feed off oak trees, were first spotted in London and have spread across the home counties. They travel two miles a year and are expected to reach Birmingham in 10 years.
The Forestry Commission’s Andrew Hoppit said: “They are a hazard to human and animal health. Curious animals such as dogs are most vulnerable.”
The caterpillars also pose a risk to our 121 million oak trees.
They emerge between March and July, then turn into moths.
People are urged to report their nests – white and tennis ball-sized – to the Forestry Commission.
