Brown-tail moth caterpillars should not be touched with a bare hand, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The native insects are covered in hairs that can cause intense skin irritation and breathing difficulties when they pierce the skin.
It comes after a four-year-old boy developed hives and a rash after playing with a brown-tail moth caterpillar, as reports the Liverpool Echo. Mother Caroline Gel is now warning other parents against allowing their children to touch the insects.
But, generally speaking, gardeners need not worry too much – the caterpillars are an important part of the ecosystem and should be tolerated where possible. Despite causing a visible loss of leaves on trees and shrubs, the RHS says the caterpillars usually have "little impact" on growth.
