Pine Processionary Caterpillars are maturing and are on the move,  We have never seen so many nests around our home as well as up in the mountains.  The animals are nocturnal, leaving the nest to feed on pine needles at night and are active from +2 degs to +20 degs.  They commune by day where their collective heat helps digest the low quality food.  Mucho info on the Internet.  What amazes us this year is the number of trees being stripped, totally defoliated and apparently dying.  Small fresh trees and big giants, once they get infected it llokss as thought they're on the way out.  The big warning seems to be keep your dogs away as they will really suffer if they get the hairs on their feet and then on their tongues.  I enjoying burning the nest with a propane torch.  Fizz, pop !! I wear a face mask BTW. 

On Tuesday Esplai Terra are giving information about the caterpillars .They want people to send pictures to their facebook page  of any they see and the place name. The programme is on Catalan tv I think it's 1.30 . 

Where does one start?
All our neighbours around here have fir trees, and they are covered with nests.
One tree is almost stripped bare, by the caterpillars.
Also you can see hundreds of nests by just going along the C12, Xerta/Benifallet areas.
I don't use Facebook, so can't help, sorry.

The Agents Rurals have a biulding in El Perello, on the N340 by Censals. The pine trees behind it are dying from the huge numbers of nests there.

All the trees we have within reach of our hose (about 120 metres) are getting a regular drenching.  I'm working on the idea that if they're wet they'll be cold and they won't be happy.  I note there are no nests in the pines near the coast.....  dunno y but interesting.

You're joking aren't you? I live 600m from the coast near l'Ametlla de mar and between there and the sea there are loads, and many more in the general area.

I believe that the mild winter has let the caterpillars thrive.
I've seen so many nests and destroyed trees surrounding  my land in the Burga.
I carefully removed around 60 to 70 nests last week by clipping of the branch and bagging them up. I then destroyed the nests on a controlled fire on my land.
I regularly walk my dogs in this area and don't wish for them to become harmed by the caterpillars, I also don't want to see the pine forests become decimated.

They're really on the rampage at my place yesterday and today.  Destroyed 7 processions so far.  One was about 8ft long.  Most I've ever seen.

It takes a lot to kill a procession with a butane blow torch !  The hairs burn off easily but the animals still squirm after a 1600 degree roasting !  On the next procession I find I am going to stick a pin in the leader so it can't move then wait and see if the entire column becomes like a British motorway in August  .... :-), bumper to bumper going no where. 

They're all off to pupate in crevices in the rocks but they the Hoopoes favourite lunch time snack.  Hooray for hoopoes !

Neighbours have tall trees and they are full of nests.
Now the caterpillars are heading across and into our property.
A real nuisance, for us and pets.

I just use insect spray Colin.  Unfortunately there aren't enough Hoopies to make any impact.

Hi
One way to kill Processionary Caterpillars is to take a stick (not your finger) and push the first one round until it joins up with last one.
They then go round in a circle until they die of hinger.
Bricon

You are joking arn't you?
When the caterpillars come out of the nest they have been eating already are ready to pupate.

wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2016 at 7:32pm:

Hi One way to kill Processionary Caterpillars is to take a stick (not your finger) and push the first one round until it joins up with last one. They then go round in a circle until they die of hinger. Bricon

Not quite the 1st of April yet Bricon.    8-)  8-)

Scoff if you want to.  Firstly check out the various websites of people who have studied the insect. It's true.  The circle kills them of hunger.