David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
____________________________________________________________Moths
86 – Oak Processionary Moths
OAK PROCESSIONARY MOTH Thaumetopoea
processionea (m)
OAK PROCESSIONARY MOTH Thaumetopoea
processionea (m)
·
The presence of the Oak Processionary Moth (often
abbreviated to ‘OPM’) Thaumetopoea
processionea (Thaumetopoedae)
in the UK, and particularly within Greater London, is a matter of concern, partly
because of the potentially serious risks to health posed by close
contact with the larvae and as a reflection on the poor biosecurity that
enabled this pest species to become established in the first place in 2005,
having presumably been imported in produce. The above photographs were taken in
France, where this moth is a major pest. The risks to humans and animals are
posed by the irritating hairs of the larvae as they approach pupation (contact
can cause severe skin rashes, etc. – please see references below for further
information about this) and significant defoliation of Oak Quercus
spp. trees means that they may be badly damaged, or even killed. This
situation may be exacerbated by drought in consequence of anthropogenic global
warming and the additional ‘heat island’ effect associated with artificial
lighting and heating cannot help matters either. The description of the larvae
and their potential effects is best left to the professionals, and the
following links will enable them to be identified accurately and provide advice
about what one should do if a larval nest has been identified on the trunk of an
Oak. This advice particularly applies for arborists or anyone else working
close to these trees:
·
The management of any outbreak may vary, but the biological
control protocol (slightly paraphrased below) used responsibly by the
management of a particularly well-managed London Common, and observations about
the consequences of its use on other wildlife (the intention is to minimise it)
are as follows:
·
Spraying
(late April/early May)
·
Public
notices on site
·
Emails
with local schools and societies.
·
Tree
inspections carried out by staff to identify OPM infected trees.
·
Nest
removal carried out by staff – nest only removed if they are under 2 metres
above ground level or overhanging benches etc.
·
The
spraying work is carried out by an outside contractor and Oak trees are only
sprayed around six high risk/high footfall areas on the Commons.
·
These
areas are very limited and include a piece of ground outside the gates of a
primary school, trees in any areas known to be regularly used by a school or close
to habitation.
·
The
pesticide that we use is called Bacillus thuringiensis, subsp.
kurstaki, and it’s applied by an Ultra-Low
Volume electrostatic spray unit.
·
Prior
to this work being carried out we receive written consent from Natural England.
·
There
are (other) chemicals available which can be more damaging to wildlife but in
my experience, I have not heard of any London authority using anything but Bacillus
thuringiensis.
·
The
use of pesticides on OPM is planned on an annual basis and therefore the
successful outcome of this work is assessed on a regular basis.
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