Benidorm acts against the pine processionary in four public areas

The Department of Environment of Benidorm City Council will act against the pine processionary in four public areas in which it has been detected the presence of nests of this insect and that usually "are very busy", as reported by the councillor of the area , José Ramón González de Zárate.

De Zárate stressed that "although the cleaning and maintenance of these soils is not municipal competence, the City Council will act on citizen's requests". To this end, a company has been contracted to carry out a "manual cleaning" of the four areas in which the presence of these worms has been confirmed. A task that will be developed in several days.

Thus, the pine forest located next to the Fairground and the ravine of l'Aigüera, a usual place for neighbors of Els Tolls and Foietes and also for pedestrian traffic to the school zones of both neighborhoods, will be cleaned out . It is also planned to act in the pine forest that is located next to the athletics track of Ciudad Deportiva Guillermo Amor and that also gives access to the green areas of El Moralet.

Another one of the points in which it is foreseen to act is the environment of the ascent to the Cross of Serra Gelada, an area very visited by runners, cyclists and hikers; as well as the pine forests located next to Costa Blanca International school and Finca de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores.

De Zárate has pointed out that it is not ruled out to act in other public areas where foci of these insects are located, and added that citizens can communicate to the Department of the Environment points where they detect the presence of nests of these insects.

On private plots, he recalled that, as it was collected on the side dictated by the mayor, Toni Pérez, in 2016, the regulations state that "the owners are responsible for their maintenance" of the same. That is why he has requested "collaboration to the owners of plots so that they carry out the phytosanitary treatments and the corresponding cleaning to avoid the proliferation of processionaries, thus protecting both their properties and possible affections the public way".

Finally, he has insisted on recommending neighbors and individuals in general to avoid direct contact of people and pets with processionary caterpillars or their nests.