Saw and collected my first processionary caterpillars of the year today. They seem to arrive earlier and earlier every year.
Anyone else seen them ?
When you say “collected” I hope that was to say you killed them but in a manner so that their hairs weren’t scattered. Lethal things 
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I was horrified to read recently… that if they feel threatened… they shed their hairs which carry on the wind and get all over the place… aaargh.
We have 4 trees with several nests in them.
In December/January we cut down approx 25 nests and burned them - they needed to be burned twice to destroy them.
We have put collar traps around the four trees - they are catching caterpillars.
Traps were bought from here:
Today we have caterpillars circling the rings on 2 trees.
Here is a trap:
Stay away from the caterpillars- you don’t need to actually touch them to get a rash even from a foot away the spines/hairs can get you - I can confirm from experience last week!
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One of our neighbours has a garden management business. One of his workers lost an eye. Dogs can die from them.
If I had pine trees in my garden I would cut them down.
We cut two down in our last garden.
This time we are trying the caterpillar traps and later will install the pheromone moth traps.
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I collect them then destroy them with boiling water followed by burial in the garden.
I’m tempted to try the traps but I have about fifteen trees which would be costly.
It was expensive just for 4.at 220€
Do you collect the nests or the caterpillars?
Both, but the traps don’t seem to dissolve…
I don’t use traps because of the cost , I collect them with a brush and dustpan the put the in a bucket then either leave them to perish in cold water or pour boiling water over them.
Interestingly this the fifth year I’ve confronted the little blighters who first appeared in mid March but each year they seem to arrive earlier (global warming ?). More importantly, there seem to be less and less each year so maybe my diligence is paying off ?
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I am seriously considering this option, as two of our pines now have nests in them and are too high to reach with a lopper without incurring the risk of them falling to the ground or being blown elsewhere. In the past, they nested lower, and I was able to get them in plastic bag, then burn/kill them over hot coals in their shrink wrapped shroud, so to speak.
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Take care, you are spreading their hairs by doing that.
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Thanks Sue, I didn’t réalise that. A mask and gloves next time for me.
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Do you have a dog or cat? If so, keep them away. The hairs can cause damage to their throats, noses, eyes.
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No, no animals here nowadays.
I recall the first few years in this place having collected literally hundreds of them. The last couple of years there have a lot less .
Apparently magpies, of which we have a few around here actually eat them ! Don’t know if that’s true or not ?
Hope so. 
Round us (Lot et Garonne) is bad because there are a number of pine plantations. At least our local town cordons off their trees when the caterpillars descend to the ground. Won’t stop a dog, but will warn owners to keep their dogs away from that part of the park.
I counted my trees this afternoon (I need to get out more !!!) and found twelve pies at the back and three more at the front. Four of the trees have nests. I wonder if the freezing weather affects them ?
We have a friend who used to shoot his out with an air rifle. He reckoned the nests died because of the holes through them.
It’s strange that no-one has mentioned Bacillus thuringiensis. Admittedly, it’s use is limited to smaller trees that can be sprayed, and does rely on a minimum of dry weather, but it’s wonderfully effective as a prevention and cure. Perhaps used in conjunction with the traps? No chemicals involved, just a bacterium that targets caterpillars.