De Eikenprocessierups bestrijden met natuurlijke vijanden

Abstract

The oak processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea processionea) can cause damage to humans and animals with its stinging hairs, setae. The oak processionary caterpillar, which had been absent from the Netherlands for a century, was spotted again in 1989, having arrived from Central Europe. The oak processionary caterpillar spread faster than its natural enemies, such as parasites, and has been able to expand throughout the Netherlands within a few decades. The municipalities have often used pesticides. This has not been able to stop the expansion and has led to environmental concerns. The client of this study wants to explore whether the great tit can offer an environmentally friendly solution to the oak processionary caterpillar plague by placing nest boxes, perhaps a key solution. We searched for experiences with great tits (Parus major) on municipal websites and in e-mails from municipal employees and we searched for scientific research on this subject. Most of the municipalities approached have little to no experience with great tits and little confidence in their usefulness. No scientific evidence was found of the effect of great tits on the oak processionary moth plague. However, there were indirect indications that the plague should be managed by allowing the populations of natural enemies to recover through natural methods, such as promoting biodiversity, enemies such as parasites and insects. The great tit is one of the natural enemies but cannot act as a key solution. The advice is to accept the oak processionary moth as a permanent part of nature and, despite the lack of direct scientific evidence, to combat it naturally and to monitor the results along the way and to scientifically investigate them for the benefit of future management decisions.

Date of Award	9 Feb 2025
Original language	Dutch
Supervisor	Raoul Beunen (Supervisor), René van der Veer (Co-assessor) & Angelique Lansu (Examiner)