What can you do yourself against the oak processionary caterpillar?
I see an oak tree with caterpillars, what should I do?
Is the tree in your garden?
Do not remove the caterpillars yourself. Call a specialized company (often a landscaper or arborist) to do this. Do not sit under or near the infected tree. Fire hairs can travel up to 100 meters with the wind. The fire hairs do sink into the ground with rain, but many also remain attached to the grass. These remaining fire hairs can cause problems again even in better weather.
Does the tree belong to the municipality?
Report it to the municipality, using the online hotline.
Does the tree belong to another manager or owner, such as your neighbor, the Forestry Commission or a pool operator?
Report it to this party.
What does the municipality do if I have filed a notification?
In principle, if the nest is a nuisance and the tree belongs to the municipality and is within the built-up area, we are going to have it sucked out. If the nuisance is large and there are many nests in many places, it may take a little longer, or sometimes it doesn't work, because of the limited equipment, or the limited number of pest controllers we have available.
It was agreed with the contractor to remove reports of nests within 3 to a maximum of 5 working days.
Why should I report if the municipality won't do anything about it anyway?
For us it is important to know how big the problem is and where the biggest nuisance is. With this we can take preventive measures into account towards the future.
Can I hold the municipality liable if I have (persistent) complaints from a nest in a tree owned by the municipality?
No, there is no law requiring municipality to remove nests. The municipality does have a duty of care. A warning about the presence of caterpillars may be sufficient because it is not feasible or affordable to remove all nests.
You can always seek legal advice from a lawyer or legal aid insurance company if you think you have been duped by the government.
My neighbor has a nest in his tree. He is not doing anything about this. What can I do?
Your neighbor has a duty of care. This means that he must do what is "reasonable" to minimize the nuisance. If there are serious nuisances and health complaints, it may be reasonable to have the nest removed. If the nuisance is limited, it may be sufficient for your neighbor to warn his neighbors.
We want to prevent residents from removing nests themselves. The risk of not removing nests in a professional manner may actually increase the nuisance caused by fire hairs. In consultation with your neighbor, try to see what is possible and reasonable to reduce the nuisance. The government does not mediate between two neighbors.
Does plastic sheeting or tape help fight oak processionary caterpillar?
No, the Processionary caterpillar Knowledge Platform has investigated. The caterpillars hatch from the egg packets laid high up in the oak tree. There they eat from the leaves. So they don't have to go in and out of the tree. The idea behind the plastic is that it would block the caterpillars' walking route. It doesn't. So using foil or tape is pointless.
Foil with adhesive strip or tape is even more harmful. The procession gets disrupted and the stress causes the caterpillar to shoot its fire hairs. These, in turn, exacerbate the nuisance. Also, other animals (birds, bats) and insects get stuck to the adhesive strip, killing them. We therefore make an urgent request to remove foil. Moreover, there is a chance that the foil may come off. Thus, plastic gets into nature and that is undesirable!
As a resident, what can I do myself to combat the oak processionary caterpillar in the long term?
You can hang suet boxes in your own garden. And you can sow flower and herb mixtures in your own garden. There is no one-size-fits-all list of the best varieties yet. Most suppliers have created their own mixtures. These are easy to find online.