Pine processionary by predators, parasites and viruses which attack the moth at different stages of its life-cycle: Efforts to control the pine processionary have included biological control using "Bacillus thuringiensis", which is effective on eggs and first or second stage caterpillars (in September or October), or insecticides such as diflubenzuron, an insect growth regulator, which can be sprayed from aircraft. Monitoring can include the use of pheromone traps. Older methods used insecticides in oil, inserted directly into nests, or mechanical removal of nests. Pine processionary The pine processionary ("Thaumetopoea pityocampa") is a moth of the family Thaumetopoeidae. Sometimes placed in the genus
Animal and Plant Health Agency Animal and Plant Health Agency The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), formerly known as the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of the United Kingdom. It was formed in its current state on 1 October 2014, when AHVLA was expanded by adding parts of the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), including the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI). AHVLA had originally been established on 1 April 2011 by a merger of two former agencies, Animal Health and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency. The agency's