Processionary caterpillars that fell in the courtyard of a crèche caused the hospitalization of 18 babies and 3 adults.
These insects are more often dreaming than shivering. And yet, processionary caterpillars have become a real nightmare for the French. It is not the inhabitants of Septèmes-les-Vallons (Bouches-du-Rhône) who will claim the opposite. 18 babies and 3 adults from a nursery in the city were briefly hospitalized because of these pests.
The case dates back to Friday, March 17. Several children from the nursery in Septèmes-les-Vallons are playing in the yard. At the back of the play area, processionary caterpillars drop from a pine tree. Nothing surprising about that: the insects take advantage of the end of winter to move on the ground in single file, before burying themselves, forming a cocoon and changing into a chrysalis.
Rare allergies
The problem is that the silks of the caterpillars are stinging and contain a toxin, thaumetopoiein, which causes skin rashes. The children and those in charge of the nursery who touched them did not escape it: severe itching is the price to pay for this close contact. Several ambulances have been dispatched to the scene, announces France Blue Provence. The children were referred to several hospitals, where the bristles still present in their epidermis were removed.
More fear than harm, therefore, for these unfortunate people. But that’s not always the case. According to the National Institute for Agricultural Research (Inra), anaphylactic shock – a severe allergic reaction – occurs in 2 to 3% of exposures to processionary caterpillars. Men and animals are not the only victims of these insects. They are also capable of destroying entire pine forests.
A rapid expansion
Difficult to fight the processionary caterpillar as its progress is dazzling. Still according to INRA, the insect progresses by about 5 kilometers per year. In two decades, he conquered 100,000 km2 of territory. If the climate has long been a brake on its expansion, this is no longer the case. France is much less hostile: a colony only dies at -16°C and hardly survives above 32°C. France therefore offers optimal living conditions.
In order to limit the damage caused by the processionary caterpillar, INRA is present on several fronts. Manual destruction of nests is an often popular solution. But the use of animals and plants can be useful. The Institute is experimenting with the installation of perches for the titmouse, a natural predator, and the planting of leafy hedges.
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