Latest update on 'hazardous' moth nest as removal delayed

Gabriel Roberts
·2-min read
The nest in Compton Place was due to be removed this week by a specialist contractor. <i>(Image: Geetha Bala)</i>
The nest in Compton Place was due to be removed this week by a specialist contractor. (Image: Geetha Bala)

Works to remove a hazardous moth nest in Carpenders Park have been delayed as residents were warned to keep their distance.

Concerns were raised last Friday when Hertfordshire County Council confirmed that a tree in Compton Place has a caterpillar nest from the oak processionary moth breed (OPM).

Residents were warned to stay away as the caterpillars and their nests have hairs which can cause rashes, eye and throat irritations, breathing difficulties and allergic reaction in rare cases.

HCC confirmed the nest in Compton Place was made by hazardous OPM caterpillars. (Image: Geetha Bala) A specialist contractor had been enlisted to remove the infestation this week, but a HCC spokesperson has now said it has been pushed back to the middle of next week, although the exact day is yet to be confirmed.

The spokesperson explained: “We’ve been advised by the specialist contractors that the caterpillars are currently in a stage of active foraging.

“If we remove it next week, more of the caterpillars are likely to have returned to the nest, meaning more of the caterpillars will be removed. This means we’re more likely to avoid recurrent nests both this season and next.”

Although the tree is unaffected by the nest, it will be sprayed to prevent a short-term re-infestation.

The insects are deemed a “hazard to human and animal health” by the Forestry Commission, which urged residents to report any sightings on the Tree Alert online form.

The caterpillars, which appear on oak trees from late March to May, can be recognised by their black heads and grey bodies covered in long white hairs, and are named after their habit of moving together in a nose-to-tail procession.

The caterpillars are named after their habit of moving together in a nose-to-tail procession.Government guidance says the greatest risk to people and animal’s health is between May to July when the caterpillars are active, before they retreat into their nests from late June to early August.

It recommends residents keep their distance from infested trees as hairs can be caught on clothing while moving past or blown off the nests into the air.

It comes as Hertsmere Borough Council also issued a warning on Monday, July 1, as it said the caterpillars had been spotted in parks around the borough.

Head of street scene Ian Kershaw said: "Our parks team is working to manage oak processionary moths in our area and will be putting up safety notices in those parks affected to warn the public.

“If you discover an OPM nest or caterpillar, we ask that you 'spot it, avoid it, report it'."

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