Helicopters declare war on caterpillars

A helicopter will spray pesticides into forests in the UK to destroy poisonous insects that can harm humans.

Thaumetopoea processionea moth usually lays eggs in European oak forests. Caterpillars eat the leaves of oak to grow. Their hairs contain toxins so they can cause itching in the skin, eyes and throat.

The density of caterpillars in oak forests in West Beckshire, Beckshire County, England is so great that they can cause health problems. So local officials mobilized a helicopter to spray pesticides into oak forests in West Beckshire, the BBC reported.

This is the first time the government has used helicopters in the war against insects. In addition, they want to use a bacterium in the soil to kill them.

Forestry officials announced that the helicopter would spray Bacillus thuringiensis twice within two weeks. Bacillus thuringiensis pesticides are not harmful to humans and animals.

"We used to kill oak moths by spraying insecticides into each tree and spraying them from the root. We can easily apply that measure in a park or street, but not in the forest. because the number of oak trees in the forest is too great, the most optimal way is to use a helicopter to spray pesticides into the forest, " said Stewart Snape, a forest official.