UNSUAL CATERPILLAR WARNING FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF HILVERSCHUME GOLF CLUB IN THE NETHERLANDS:
Ok, please people take the time on this -- its news we can all use up here on the WGT and outside in the world areas and whatnots. We NEED to hear from someone on the WGT staff re. the virtual version of the HilverSmooch in regard to the warning in boxes above -- which were updated today!
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY ON THE HILVERSMOOCH:
Oak Processionary Caterpillars Observed.
Nests Are Marked With A Red/White Ribbon
We Need to Know If They Are On The WGT Hilvershmooch
Was Heading There To Play a CTTH -- Having Paranormal Panic Attack
What are these? Better sit down and take a deep breath. My name is Yancy, and I am currently in the Netherlands on a secret clandestine mission that I have sworn to never reveal publicly. Please dont mention this online anywhere or especially tell WGTicon about what were talking about. What were we talking about? Exactly. Follow below to learn what to be aware of. This could be Alien in nature. Sayin'
The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth of the family Thaumetopoeidae. The species was first described by Michael Denis and Ignaz Schiffermüller in 1775. Sometimes placed in the genus Traumatocampa, it is one of the most destructive species to pinesand cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and the countries of southern Europe. The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine trees, and which proceed through the woods in nose-to-tail columns, protected by their severely irritating hairs, as described by the French entomologist Jean-Henri Fabre. --via Wiki
At the beginning of spring, the rising temperatures trigger the burying instinct. The caterpillars come down from their nests (the white balls you see in pine trees) and walk along the ground looking for a place to bury themselves and make a chrysalis they will then break out of in July as moths. They walk along in procession (hence their name) led by a female and would be easy prey for predators at this point if they weren’t poisonous.
That’s where the problems start for dogs (or anyone that touches them). The caterpillars are covered in poisonous hairs with a toxin that is devastating for dogs who put their noses near them.
A mild winter and warm spring have led to an infestation of hundreds of millions of toxic caterpillars across parts of Europe.
The plague of oak processionary caterpillars has led to schools and parks being closed, event cancellations and hospitalizations in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Firefighters in Louvain, Belgium, had to destroy nests before a rock concert, according to BBC.com.
A mature oak processionary caterpillar, named for their preference for oak trees and the way they travel in nose-to-tail processions, has as many as 700,000 hairs. The tiny hairs have a toxin that can cause rashes, eye irritation, coughing and allergic reactions, BBC.com also reported. The hairs, which have hooks that grip the skin, are carried by the wind.
In the Netherlands, a 69-year-old woman waged her own personal war on the caterpillars with a heat gun. In a now-viral video, she first flips off the insects and then burns them with the gun at close range, vowing: “I’ll tackle them, those bastards.” The caterpillars are forced out of their nests by the heat, first writhing like grubs and then falling to the ground.
But her plan of attack runs contrary to official advice. A local authority on the caterpillars advised the NL Times against taking matters into one’s own hands, especially if those hands also hold a heat gun. “If such a nest is attacked by a heat gun, there will be an explosion of hair and you can increase the problem.”
In Germany, the Guardian reports, the caterpillar bloom has all but brought parts of the country to a halt, with swimming pools, restaurants, public parks, and even parts of the highway forced to close down. Nine children in Mülheim, Germany were hospitalized after experiencing respiratory problems and rashes after exposure on a school day, while six people in Münster had to have operations after the toxic filaments were caught in their eyes.
Eradicating the bugs is a particular challenge. Eco-pesticides used in Germany have had a limited effect, while special teams wearing protective gear have been dispatched in firefighters’ lifts to attack the nests with blowtorches or big vacuum cleaners.
Though most pine processionary moths only live one year, some in high altitudes or more northern areas may survive for over two years. The adult moths lay their eggs near the tops of pine trees. After hatching, the larva eat pine needles while progressing through five stages of development. In order to maintain beneficial living conditions, silken nests are built over the winter. Around the beginning of April, the caterpillars leave the nests in the procession for which the species is known. They burrow underground and emerge at the end of summer. High numbers of adults are produced in years with a warm spring.
The eggs are laid in cylindrical bodies ranging from 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2.0 in) in length. The eggs are covered with scales which come from the female and mimic pine shoots ------ I am not saying Alien Pods on this.....but their Alien Pods
Be Safe - Be Smart
I am Yancy
@TeamYancy