Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

The dreaded caterpillars are on the march early this year. I had 15 nests in my 2 trees already. Half have been removed, hope the rest will be asap.

You keep 'em over your side, we don't want 'em here in Alsancak!

Apparently they are worse than ever, everywhere this year. Probably due to the lack of spraying by local belis.

I'll keep my eyes open then, and post an alert if I spot any around this area...

Will the pest control people come and deal with them there are two nests in a neighbours tree which overhangs the track but it's a holiday house.

Keith, they are out with a vengeance in our part of Alsancak (as in previous years), there is barely a fir tree in our area with nothing in it. If all you have is two cocoons you're very lucky. In our neighbouring tree there are at least 15 (according to a workman who is on the roof). They are getting systematically worse 1. more and more birds being killed 2. Government stopped spraying a number of years ago. A Government official told me 6 years ago that the caterpillars were killing off more trees and if something wasn't done, there would be 40% less trees by 2030 than there were when I spoke to him. I hope he is wrong!

What will they do about it? SOD ALL!!!

bttt

Following the historic and devastating forest fires they planted the particular trees that the caterpillars love across great swathes of Northern Cyprus - no wonder then that they have a perennial problem... Instead they should have planted the endemic tree species that the wildlife prefers but no - they couldn't do that because it would have taken a bit of research and consultation.

A whole plantation at Akova dam has been decimated by the problem - what's the point of planting trees only to let them die - oh, don't ask - it drives me mad!

Just an update, I spotted some of the little pests 'processing' at the far end of the road leading down to Camelot Beach in Alsancak this morning, but I didn't manage to identify any nests in the trees on either side of the road.

That probably says more about me than the caterpillars!

A few years ago on one of my Safari trips,past the 'little tank' above Karşiyaka and the mountain road coming out at St.Hilarion,many fir trees had what looked like nesting boxes.but İ was told they were to catch these pesky moths.
Surely these must be available to purchase

Keithcaley wrote: I spotted some of the little pests 'processing'

Processioning surely ?

We should be more correct and use the word "pine" trees, rather than "fir" trees, because thats what they almost always attack.

erol wrote:

Keithcaley wrote: I spotted some of the little pests 'processing'

Processioning surely ?

Well, I tend to think that their name derives from the verb 'to process', one definition of which (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) is 'Walk or march in procession' for example: they processed down the aisle. Thereby they formed a procession. Hence the name Processionary Caterpillars (rather than Processional) from their habit of forming a procession.

I don't think that there is a verb 'To Procession'

Are they the same critters as Processionary Caterpillars?

If they are nest boxes to attract the birds that eat them are the way to go if you don't
want to use chemicals which can kill benefical insects.

I don't have any more caterpillar nests, or pine trees!!!!!! Problem solved for ever, after about 6/7 years. Yippee !!

Our neighbours dog ate one of these, or maybe attempted to......ended up on a drip and has been very ill. She was told another half hour and he would have been dead, so it's not just the trees it is your pets......

My two dogs were the main reason the pine trees are no more. Apparently you are not allowed to cut them down with out permission. Sod that, sue me!!!! Will my friends bring me food parcesl and a saw?

We have an issue with these caterpillars in a pine tree at a friends villa in Alsancak. We have been to the Orman Dairesi - Forestry Commission and they have advised they can do nothing at the moment because any spraying will kill the butterflies and other wildlife. They have however agreed to come and spray the tree in the autumn. They also added that on no account is the tree to be cut!

This morning, I saw the longest procession of these horrors that I've ever seen - on the road that runs behind Starling on the Alsancak / Lapta border: -

Blimey Keith you've got a long one

OK Judy Vinn I am waiting for the police to knock on the door, shaking in my shoes!! NOT! My dogs are far more important to me, than some stupid law, from a gang of brain dead morons!

jacob wrote:Blimey Keith you've got a long one

They all say that!

The tree to which judyvin refers is in my next door neighbours garden and its a death trap. Yet again we found a 6ft length of the "ooops" walking up our drive from next door. The Forestry Commission are absolutely useless, what is the point in the coming later in the year to spray? It needed it earlier this year. In any case it is such a huge tree I doubt they will send anyone right up to the top without the use of a cherry picker.. We actually had total strangers (locals) point the tree out to us, saying "çock çock problem" With luck and a following wind, this time next year they will have killed the tree off and the "services" of the FC will not be needed. If you stand and carefully look around all the pine trees within 100yds have loads of cocoons on them - such a terrible shame as they will all gradually die off.

Owl lady, I was simply passing on information that we were told, what you do is entirely up to you. I am sure I would have done the same as you on my land to protect my animals! However the tree in question is not mine and therefore not my decison to cut it. We were just trying to resolve the situation for Sophie and find out the options. However, the Forestry Commission explained that when they spray the tree in the Autumn it will kill the moths/eggs and there won't be any caterpillars hatching next year.

You may wish to note the article in Cyprus Today in which it is reported that pupils and staff of a local school have been hospitalised due to an allegy to these pests. There is a statement by the Public Works, Environment and Culture Ministry about measures being taken. An imortant one is encouraging birds, the natural predators of these caterpillars. This cross references to my post re feeding cats in dometic areas which, among other things, is a factor in the decrease of the number of birds in our countryside and gardens.

It is all a matter of balance of nature and we should be careful how we interfere.

Trouble is RR those lunatics and their guns have decimated the bird population, so that together with the lack of spraying by the Government, its now a double wammy. Certainly around where I live it has become very worrying, both for animals and humans alike.

Sorry Sophie but this has absolutely nothing to do with the hunters (or other "lunatics"). The issue is that the Government has restricted Forestry funding which, in turn, has led to less prevention of the Processionnary Caterpillar.

Not a hunter myself but please stop trying to link them to every ecological evil available here in the KKTC. Most of the hunters I know are actively campaigning against the despoilation of our island and for it's preservation and upkeep.

Sorry Sophie: The hunters may be part of the problems of reduction in the bird population , but too wrongs do not make a right and it is not fair to use it as an excuse fro the damage that feeding feral cats does to the birds among other things. The Authorities will not spray at this time of year because it would kill off other benevolent insects. You really neeed to understand what you are doing when you interfere with nature. not just be soft hearted about one species.

A thought re the trees. As I understand it is is against the law to remove or kill certain types of tree, but not as far as I know to "lop" or prune them. Provided the trees are in you own ownership and garden, could not the affected branches be removed and burnt without killing the entire tree.?

Large empty water bottle put to good use!

Sadly Groucho, the tree which is causing the main problem is very tall, very old and very knarled (spelling?) with a large trunk. Your suggestion just wouldn't be viable. Have been out early this morning, squelching yet another couple of processions of the little horrors on next door property. Other problem of course is they become virtually invisible when they go on to soil and/or gravel. Its only when they are crawling across pathways etc that you can see them.

Labousa, I will refrain from condemning hunters, when after a weekend of shooting I do not find sparrows and other very small birds littering the place (including my garden on a number of occasions) with their heads and wings blown off by shot gun pellets. Birds are natures enemies and deterrents of these caterpillars.

RR, when I refer to "hunters" I did mean humans as you realise.. No offense! I love cats, but with 4 dogs in the house, feral cats stay well away from my lot, who do not like them one little bit, so they are not a problem for us. I totally agree though with KAR, if you feed feral cats, then have a feeding station well away from houses if at all possible. (off topic, realise now this should have gone on another thread)

sophie wrote:Labousa, I will refrain from condemning hunters, when after a weekend of shooting I do not find sparrows and other very small birds littering the place (including my garden on a number of occasions) with their heads and wings blown off by shot gun pellets. Birds are natures enemies and deterrents of these caterpillars.

RR, when I refer to "hunters" I did mean humans as you realise.. No offense! I love cats, but with 4 dogs in the house, feral cats stay well away from my lot, who do not like them one little bit, so they are not a problem for us. I totally agree though with KAR, if you feed feral cats, then have a feeding station well away from houses if at all possible. (off topic, realise now this should have gone on another thread)

Yes Sophie I did realise you meant human hunters. Fortunately it is not a problem I have, but I do find dead birds (particularly small ones) that have been mauled by cats when the dogs were shut indoors. Particularly sad as the cats are obviously well fed and just playing with them. I lost a best of blue tits that I was parituclarly looking forward to watching fledge that way.

Unfortunately - I am repeating the other thread - the cats do not avoid my dogs but tease them and also other dogs nearby and set off barking.

I am sorry about your problem witht he tree - the trouble being it is in someone else's garden. Probably a sillly question in which case apoogise in advance but have you thought about approaching them to cut out and burn the affected branches.. See my ref above to t he report in CT - if they are not as concerned as we are about dogs they might be influenced that these caterpillars are also dangerous for humans and pariticularly children!