Moth caterpillars are damaging oaks
I had just parked up my bike and was about to climb my favourite tree when I saw this menacing bug battalion (photo above). They were slowly making their way up the tree, so I had enough time to rush home and back to take a photo.
What are these crazy creatures? A quick message to our Garden Committee provided the answer almost immediately: The OPM (Oak Processionary Moth). Nesting and feeding on oak trees, these caterpillars are harmful to the trees, feasting on the leaves. These invasive species commonly arrive in the middle of April to the middle of July, and then settle on upper branches to build their nests. OPM can only be removed in July and August. The Rosmead Garden, between Elgin Crescent and Lansdowne Road, has been dealing with them since 2019 when two small nests were removed. In 2020, there was no sign of them, but now they are back.
Where did they come from? According to the RBKC, OPM first came into the UK hitching a ride on a semi mature oak tree imported from Belgium or Holland. The first reporting of them was in Kew Gardens, and from there these bugs have spread throughout the South East. Kew Gardens and Richmond Park have had to close some areas due to these harmful insects. Most of the oak trees in the Borough are in Holland Park, so there is an ongoing watch.
Be Warned and Take Action: These pesky bugs have a certain protein in their hairs that can be very dangerous to humans, animals and oak trees. When threatened or scared, the caterpillars shoot out their tiny hairs. If you touch them, you will get a rash and your throat may swell up, making it difficult to breathe.
If you spot these species, be sure to stay clear of them, take a photo and report it by email to opm@forestry or phone 0300 067 4442. It is very important to report any sightings, so professionals can remove them, know when to spray the trees and even check on them later. As soon as I notified our Garden Committee, they roped off the area to make sure no one was at risk.
So what does RBKC do? Our Garden Committee then notified the RBKC Tree Authority. The local council has its own designated Senior Arboricultural Officer who helps deal with all the local tree issues in Kensington and Chelsea. Luckily he is right on the tail of these creepy crawlies.
Some important advice: Please do you have your own oak trees checked by an expert to make sure that they don’t have OPM, and if they do, please get it safely treated by a professional so they doesn’t spread. Our garden uses The Tree Company. ( traci@thetreecompany.co.uk)
This link contains more info on OPM … www.forestresearch.gov.uk
Special thanks to Nicola Heywood, our amazing garden coordinator, and James Burton our Senior Arboricultural Officer at RBKC.
