Furry one-inch monsters can KILL a human. Yikes!

From "people.co.uk:
The harmless-looking creepy-crawlies are covered in 63,000 poisonous hairs which break off and drift through the air.

When asthmatic or elderly people living nearby inhale the toxin-riddled hairs they can SUFFOCATE.

Expert Tony Kirkham of the Royal Botanical Gardens which suffered an outbreak last year said: "It is a severe danger to the public."

A source said: "If you are within 500 metres of even just one caterpillar, you are considered to be within the danger zone. The hairs are tiny but hyper-toxic and are so light they carry easily through the air without people noticing them.

Belgium is battling an outbreak and last week called in the army to torch millions of the caterpillars.

In Holland 20,000 people had to be treated after an outbreak of the furry little monsters ten years ago.

Full Article Here

Yikes! sounds like these little critters can really do some damage!

If they're using teams of people in biohazzard suits and armed with flamethrowers, they must be taking this quite seriously.

Hope this doesn't spread over here to France.

I also wonder if they could harm any animals looking for a treat who eat them?

Nnnnnnnnnnasty.

sh*t, guess where I live

Good post! yeah it seem as though size isnt everything LOL, i live in wales in the uk are they anywhere near my country because caterpillars are everywhere here!

Any distinct marks or colours to look out for?

Thx

see i tried to tell everyone one day the cattepillars will rise up and take us out...theyve had enough and theyre not gonna take our # anymore

The innocent-sounding Oak Processionary caterpillar is rapidly multiplying in west London after infested trees were imported from Holland. Masses of the one-inch-long creatures cover branches in Royal Park, Ealing.

West London eh, think you're safe for now sostyles.

The article doesn't describe them too well does it?

Will search for other stories on this and keep you updated. Please post any findings here peeps.

Sssscary stuff



Update Edit: just found this report from the "Mail on Sunday" which is talking about the problems in Belgium. If these are the same critters, they are called "procession catepillars".

Sounds like they're getting around too.

[edit on 10/6/2007 by nerbot]

They are pretty near the UK seeing as they are in Belgium.

They look like this:









Damage caused:




[edit on 10-6-2007 by koenw]

Originally posted by koenw
They are pretty near the UK seeing as they are in Belgium.

[edit on 10-6-2007 by koenw]

[edit on 10-6-2007 by sostyles]

ok now im worried who would ever think that something so small could kill ya! :-P

[edit on 10-6-2007 by sostyles]

A source said: "If you are within 500 metres of even just one caterpillar, you are considered to be within the danger zone. The hairs are tiny but hyper-toxic and are so light they carry easily through the air without people noticing them.

www.people.co.uk

Holy Cow!

That sounds pretty serious.

Keep those over there.

We have enough vermin here in the US.


[edit on 2007/6/10 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by koenw
They are pretty near the UK seeing as they are in Belgium.

They look like this:

Damage caused:

[edit on 10-6-2007 by koenw]

Looks like the typical tent catipillar which we see in the US every 7 years or so. Any relation?

Really, really big can of Raid.

Those things sound really nasty. Forgive me if I sound cold, but you all can keep 'em...

We can build huge missiles, we've traveled into space and we consider ourselves the dominant species on this planet. I just find it so funny how little creatures like that caterpillar can be so dangerous to humanity. I love nature but I really don't like the thought of getting killed by caterpillars and who are we to decide whether those caterpillars live or die. I mean sure there dangerous but we're even more so, hence the flamethrowers. All life on Earth is equal in my eyes.

Someone else mentioned this but we have some bugs here in the USA that look like that... Dang I hope they are not related... If so... time to start carrying raid, a lighter and a small can of lighter fluid.

oh no. Worms of Mass Distribution in europe and the uk.

maybe bush should order a preemptive nukular strike.