So you are happy that Malaria bearing Mosquitos can kill millions of children every year?

Agreed, although there are too many of some human beings too

Hmmm. Sounds like we had a lucky escape then
When we first moved into our house 5 years ago there were 8 pine trees in the garden. We were fascinated by these cobwebby nests-and investigated with a stick the one or two we could reach. Then in Spring we videoed a trail of over 80 of the varmints traipsing across the garden. Not had any nests for the last 2 years but we've also (for other reasons) had 4 of the trees removed.
Thanks for the link.

If you really want to know almost everything about these pests, a Frenchman wrote some very detailed reports about them over 150 years ago. Fascinating reading.Chapters 1 - 6

The Life of the Caterpillar | Jean-Henri Fabre

I read it a few years ago. He certainly but a lot of effort into his research, but the drawback was that it was mostly not done under natural conditions out in the woods and forests.
I did a few tests of my own because I doubted the theory on one point, that being that all the caterpillars actually left the trees, most especially the highest and oldest trees.
I isolated a high tree which had many nests high up so it had no connection with any other. I cleared any low branches and then put two bands of that sticky rat catcher glue around the trunks. I checked them on a regular basis over a couple of years or more till I was certain that very few if any caterpillars could have left the tree.
New nests continued to be built at the very top level every year and none further down. Bearing in mind it is unusual for the newly hatched moths to fly more than a few meters above the ground when looking to lay their eggs, I'm of the opinion that some of them can complete their full life cycle high up in the tree itself.

are the moths small, about half an inch across when wings outspread and light tan coloured?

Thank you. It was interesting but ultimately a bit too lengthy

Spotted this post and thought that it might be of interest.

https://www.facebook.com/56626140851...type=3&fref=nf

Rosemary

There are more than I've ever seen before in the Alicante area, and it seems to be due to the lack of real cold this winter as you mentioned. They do scare me as I like to walk with my dogs in the mountains, but when you see pines with up to five full 'bags' of caterpillars hanging it does make you paranoid they might fall on you or the pets, or that they might eat them and lose their tongue! I do not think it is okay, but I have have heard of people in the area shooting those in their property.

Craziest idea I've heard yet.

I promise!

Eh ?
Promise what ?

Promise to behave yourself I hope and not go round shooting hell out of the pine trees with your shotgun.

There's already plenty of nutters running around the Spanish countryside shooting at everything in sight, even shot by Persian blinds out a while back.

Erm... That no matter how crazy, what I was saying is true, that's all.

I think they're called Iranians now, and being shot by blind terrorists is quite a story. Was it in the news? LOL

Don't think so, they haven't quite made it this far yet, so it was only trigger happy Spanish hunters as far as I'm aware.