British forests under new threat from pests

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24297553



In a London park, forester Simon Levey is checking a moth trap strung high in the canopy of an oak tree.

He is searching for signs of the oak processionary moth, which is present in parts of the capital and Berkshire.

When the moth's caterpillars emerge from their nests, they can strip oak trees bare and harm human health.

"What we're looking for in these oak trees we see around us is their nests," says Mr Levey.

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1. Humans are the most pernicious pests

A severe infestation can strip a landscape down to dry, bare dirt covered with our nests and paved over with asphalt.