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Águilas town hall is carrying out its annual monitoring and control campaign against the Mediterranean pine processionary caterpillar, a pest that commonly affects Aleppo pines across the municipality's parks and green areas.

 

The company contracted to manage the town's parks and gardens service is conducting increased surveillance and removal work to tackle the infestation, which occurs every year at this time due to the abundance of Aleppo pines in Águilas.

 

The parks and gardens maintenance service uses a combined strategy of prevention and direct action throughout the year.

 

During September and October, preventative treatments are carried out using targeted spraying or endotherapy, which involves injecting treatment directly into tree trunks. These techniques target the early larval stages and drastically reduce the number of caterpillar populations that manage to establish themselves and form nests.

 

Following the prevention phase, teams move into active monitoring and control, which is currently underway.

 

Daily inspections are being intensified to locate nests, with priority given to high-risk areas like schools, playgrounds and spaces with high public footfall.

 

The most effective method for quickly eliminating the risk of contact is manual removal of the nests. Teams use pole tools and aerial work platforms to access the entire tree canopy, and in hard-to-reach areas this is supplemented with direct foliar spraying of treatments.

 

Residents are reminded that if they see a procession of caterpillars on the ground, they should avoid any direct contact and keep pets away. The caterpillars have stinging hairs that can cause allergic reactions in both humans and animals.

 

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