Scourge

 

Processional Catapillars...killers if a child or dog touches their hairs...very toxic. They travel in big ugly groups of murder. I've seen them in a pine forest way up in the hills...They live near and on pine trees...Where I walk is nothing but pines.  Oh joy!

When I was a kid we had the horrible Gypsy Moths ( now called Spongy Moths? They needed a name change? was Gypsy politically incorrect? really? ) They were horrible and destructive creatures. 
Reminds me of when my neighbor Frank Senior, got a big nest of them into an old frying pan and fried them up on an outside stove / open flame. I will never forget it...the squirming...it was horrible. Frank was enjoying it. 
The nests have to be burned out of the trees as they are very destructive to trees and plants. I can't imagine them doing that here.
The Processionals have similar nests but if a dogs nose or mouth touches the hairs, it can kill him. 

nothing but pines!