What is the Oak processionary moth?
The Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) is an invasive moth species that was accidentally introduced into the UK and is now established in London and the surrounding areas, with pockets elsewhere in the southeast of England. It makes its nests on oak trees hence the name! OPM caterpillars feed on the oak leaves, and in particularly high concentrations, they can strip the canopy of leaves which severely limits the tree's ability to photosynthesize. Furthermore, the hairs on the OPM caterpillar can present a health risk if they come into contact with humans or pets, including rashes and difficulty breathing.
What to look out for?
Found almost exclusively on oak trees, you will start to see the caterpillars on the tree in late March / early April when they emerge, but the greatest health risk is posed from May to July as they grow larger and develop toxic hairs. The caterpillars will often move in a line together, nose to tail. They build their nests in early summer on the branches or trunks of the host trees. The nests start white and silky, but then become discoloured to a dark brown colour. Look out for the silk trails as they can often indicate a nest nearby! Please do not try and interact with them or remove the nests yourselves.
Services, we provide.
OPM surveys.
If you are concerned that you may have OPM on your Oak tree, or you want to know how many nests there are on the tree that need removing, then our experienced surveyors can provide you with a thorough professional survey. Out of anything, nests are the easiest to spot and most reliable way of confirming the presence of OPM. The nests can sometimes be tricky to locate but we know what we are looking for! We are also happy to provide general advice when needed.
OPM nest removal
If you have nests that need to be removed, our team is equipped, trained, and certified for the job. We have all the relevant PPE, including Type 5 overall suits and full face masks to remove the nests from your trees safely and responsibly. We carry out the physical removal of nests from trees, along with responsible disposal of hazardous material by incineration. We do not carry out chemical spraying of trees due to the indiscriminate nature of the chemicals, which will also harm other insect species along with the OPM.
We can also make recommendations on how best to manage your tree and area to help reduce the number of OPM present, for example, where to place bird boxes to encourage birds who are natural predators to the caterpillars.
We hope that this article has helped clear any questions which you may have had about the Oak Processionary Moth. If you have any further questions or require some assistance with dealing with OPM in your trees then don’t hesitate to get in touch!! You can call us on 01980 623015 or email us at info@bawdentreecare.co.uk
