Environment ministry warns public not to touch stinging caterpillars
Pine larvae carry stinging hairs that cause skin, eye, throat irritation and allergic reactions; come down from the trees in spring to pupate
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
They might look soft and furry, but if you come across a convoy of pine processionary caterpillars, don’t touch them, the Environmental Protection Ministry warned Monday.
The caterpillars, which eventually turn into moths, carry a protein on their hairs that stings.
It can cause irritation of the skin, throat and eyes and trigger allergic reactions.
The caterpillars are named processionary because they move head to toe, as if in a procession, possibly to dupe predators into thinking they are snakes.
They leave their nests in the pine trees at the beginning of spring and move along the ground until they find a suitable place to burrow and pupate.
The ministry advised those who see such a procession not to intervene, not to touch them, and not to try to destroy them on account of the risk of releasing the harmful hairs into the air.
If nests are spotted in pine trees in kindergartens or public areas, the local council should be notified so that it can mark the location and return in the fall to destroy the nest, the ministry said.
If there is no way to keep children or others away from the larvae, a pest expert could be called in to remove the larvae by hand.
