Costa Blanca's Calpe makes doubly sure

MARCHING: Processionaries preparing to bury themselves. Photo credit: Pixabay

CALPE town hall is repeating the treatment to eliminate processionary caterpillars from the Costa Blanca resort. This is carried out each year in November, with additional fumigations in February, municipal sources explained. Although no processionaries have been seen so so far, the regional government’s health department recommends taking extra measures in areas with pine trees. Special care should be taken to prevent children and dogs from coming into contact with the caterpillars, the department said. Processionary caterpillars are part of the Mediterranean eco-system and should not be regarded as a plague, despite the problems they cause when they interact with humans and animals. This occurs when the caterpillars leave the pines trees and before they bury themselves in the ground to become chrysalides before emerging as moths.

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Lisa Burgess

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