Army of caterpillars descends on school

TEACHING and learning at Newhaven Secondary School in Chatsworth was disrupted last week after the grounds were invaded by hairy caterpillars, pictured.

Principal Harishna Naidoo said pupils were scratching their bodies after lunch break last Monday so he and a few teachers investigated and found the crawling hairy insects on tree leaves.

“We organised calamine lotion for the kids who had started having spots, and we had to call parents of the ones who were severely affected,” he said.

Naidoo said when he contacted eThekwini Municipality’s health department, a crew came out to the school and told him they generally responded only to serious health issues.

“I was getting a lot of calls from angry parents who were putting pressure on me to fix the situation,” said Naidoo, who then called the KZN Department of Education’s uMlazi circuit office for assistance.

The department sent an official on Thursday, but irate parents were demanding immediate action.

Naidoo then hired a private pest control company which sprayed the trees at the school on Saturday.

“When we came this morning (Monday) there were dead insects on the floor. So far there has been no complaints from pupils,” he said.

A department official, who did not want to be named, said the eThekwini parks department had been alerted.

“When we came the principal had already organised calamine lotion for the children and we, together with the parks department, advised them on how to treat the rashes,” she said, adding the parks department had advised them to cut and burn the tree branches.