Weeks after Paris’ bedbug hysteria, stinging caterpillars are now making their way into the French capital.
Experts claim that pine processionary caterpillars, so named because of their single-file flight pattern, have arrived three months earlier than the timing due to the exceptionally mild temperatures.
The insects, which can grow up to 4 cm (1.6 in) in length, live in colonies and construct silk nests on colonised pine and oak trees.
Parts of the city have reportedly been infested by these insects.
Although these caterpillars do not bite, but their hair act as “microscopic needles or harpoons” that detach from their bodies when they feel threatened or sense danger and travel with the wind.
A toxic protein found in the hair can result in skin blisters and a range of allergic responses. The caterpillars and their hair can turn out to be extremely fatal for pets and toddlers who inadvertently can put these in their mouths.
In the year 2022, the government had declared processionary caterpillars as hazardous to human health.
As per local media reports, a homeowner in the northern department of Yveline was forced to chop off a 20-year-old pine tree after he discovered massive colonies nesting inside it. The tree was 15 metres tall.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Emmanuel told Le Parisien. “They came down from my pine despite the trap I set. They are devouring my tree and I am afraid for my dog.”
Pine processionary caterpillars undergo a dramatic transformation into chrysalis by burrowing themselves in the ground during their last larval stages as they descend along the stem.
“It’s an invasion,” Jean-Marc Pommier, the mayor of Bonnieres-sur-Seine, told Le Parisien. “People are calling the town hall. We have entire neighbourhoods affected, we see trees covered with these horrible garlands.”
The caterpillar invasion comes after a massive Paris bedbug scare that made locals and tourists fearful about travelling through the city.
(With inputs from agencies)
