MILLIONS of Caterpillars Take Over London FOR REAL

There has got to be a Chinese Zen proverb somewhere in these pictures of those tiny little caterpillars covering the ENTIRE tree, and car, and pavement, and wall. But what happens when the caterpillars evolve? Invasion of the butterflies?

A freak plague of caterpillars has invaded a street in south London.

The bird-cherry ermine caterpillars, which are not harmful to humans, began to spin white weblike nests on the trees in Warfield Road, Hampton three weeks ago and have now covered walls, cars and pavements.

Resident Trisha Mole said: “You cannot help but feel they are doing damage to the trees.” A neighbour said: “We are picking caterpillars out of our hair and the kids’ hair. It’s just not on.”

Richmond council insisted there were no safe chemicals that could be used on the caterpillars. A spokesman said the feeding stage lasted about four weeks and the trees “recover quite quickly once the caterpillars pupate and the adults start to fly”.