If anybody feels these irritations it is convenient to go urgently to the doctor for its treatment.

In the month of February, in areas of pine trees, take special care towards the presence of caterpillars, especially if you are accompanying children or pets.

If anybody feels these irritations it is convenient to go urgently to the doctor for its treatment.

The pine tree processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a nocturnal butterfly which in its caterpillar phase it feeds from the pine trees tender needles, thus debilitating them.

During the worm phase is when the allergy is more painful. The processionary caterpillar has some stinging hairs which can affect us, either if we touch them directly or if they are dispersed in the air, as they cause allergic reactions in both, humans and animals.

In the Balearics, normally, in the months of December and January they build the nests or bags on the branches which we can now see. In the month of February, that is to say, the time we are in now, the burial of the caterpillars takes place. This process begins at first time in the morning when caterpillars already mature leave their nests and slide down towards the ground in procession, in search of the appropriate place to bury themselves and spin a cocoon for thus turn into a butterfly.

For this reason you should avoid the contact with these caterpillars and take special care if you walk through pine woods affected with this plague.

In this sense it is important to do the appropriate specific treatment for each time of the year in order to become more effective and reduce the allergy in these months.

At this moment in time, when the allergy is more intense, is when the phytosanitary treatments are less effective. There are treatments for advanced larvae stages L4 and L5 (contact or ingestion insecticides), but they are not very effective and do not eliminate the majority of the worms.

There are also physical devices which avoid the caterpillars descent to the earth (they are like crowns filled with water, fixed to the tree bordering its perimeter, where caterpillars get caught and get drowned).

Another useful action in this time of the year is, proceed to cut the bags and burn them in a metallic container to avoid the worms escaping, but the appropriate precautions should be taken in order to avoid skin allergies and even eye damages which their stinging hairs produce.

In the month of February, in areas of pine trees, take special care towards the presence of caterpillars, especially if you are accompanying children or pets.

If anybody feels these irritations it is convenient to go urgently to the doctor for its treatment.