They enter houses, attach themselves to curtains, cause itching and even pass through mosquito nets: plane tree tigers are particularly proliferating this summer in the Paris region and exasperating those who have to deal with them. Rainy springs favor their reproduction during the summer. They are therefore particularly numerous this year. These small insects can bite and cause tiny red itchy spots. Don’t worry, however, these bites are harmless to humans.
This species of bug arrived in the south of France from the United States in the 1970s. It appeared in the Paris region in the 2000s. Plane tree tigers can quickly become a nuisance because they have an unfortunate tendency to move in groups. They live mainly on plane trees, a species of tree that is very common in urban areas. Once established, plane tree tigers suck the sap from the tree and damage its leaves. Some town halls are also implementing treatments to protect these trees and residents during the summer. Among the range of options available to them, there is in particular the spraying of a high-pressure water jet or the application of nematodes, small microscopic worms that parasitize the digestive system of plane tree tigers, on the trunk of infested trees.
