RURAL RIDDLES
WRIGGLY WONDERS I
n the 20 years that I’ve been receiving queries and
NATURAL PROGRESSION Q
Despite looking online, I cannot find much
information which compares the French attitude to nature conservation with that found in Britain... knowing more would be helpful for a (UK) college thesis. Bridget-Marie West
has over 1.2 million members but its French equivalent, the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, can only boast around
A
TAKE COVER Q
emerging seeds or delicate plants at the beginning of the season, not only from a late frost but also cold winds and
A
In the UK, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
60,000 members – whether this means that the French are generally less caring about their wildlife is open to debate! Another huge difference is that, in the UK, the work of voluntary organisations plays a big part in nature conservation, both at county and national level. In France many hunting
organisations take voluntary responsibility for habitat improvement – in addition to which, as part of the July 2019 hunting reforms, an eco-
compiling ‘Rural Riddles’ there have not been many times when someone hasn’t written around this time of year in order to ask about the caterpillars of the Pine Processionary moth. As they are first likely to be noticed from now onwards, I thought I’d mention the experience of reader Margaret Wrightman who wrote to tell me of her experiences when she came across a line of them marching down the woodland track where she was walking her dog. Apparently the dog “stood mesmerised” but Margaret wondered whether “they could have caused harm had he investigated further”.
contribution was agreed so that every hunter pays an additional €5 on their licence (which the government matches) in order to finance activities supporting biodiversity. There are also several
Réserves Naturelles Nationales and ongoing projects run by the government (at both national and regional levels) and, on parts of the coastline the Conservatoire du Littoral helps safeguard potentially threatened sites.
Pine Processionary moth caterpillars on their nest
The most important thing
In our region of France (Centre-Val de Loire) I
reckon we can get at least four extra growing weeks in the vegetable ‘potager’. Without a greenhouse, can I extend the season even further? Charlotte Montgomery
Cloches are an excellent way. They protect newly
Keeping the bed warm
being bashed about by heavy spring rain. Some are more robust than others – and will give greater protection – but there is a difference in price as you’ll see when you visit your local garden centre or gardening section of the nearest quincaillerie.
about growing under cloches is to place them in situ before planting seeds or young crops. Over winter the ground temperature obviously lowers and it takes a while for it to warm up – positioning the cloches where required helps it do so. Once the soil temperature has risen, the cloche should help maintain an ambient overnight temperature but remember that the warmed air in the cloche takes a while to get down into the soil. Old and wise gardeners always reckoned on putting cloches in place at least a week before planting under them.
The short answer is that,
yes, they could – without being alarmist they are known to pose a risk to humans and pets due to the fact that they can cause skin problems and even eye damage via the toxic proteins carried on the barbs which cover the caterpillar’s back. They are not uncommon in
many parts of France and it has been suggested that their numbers could increase in a spring which follows a relatively mild winter as such weather conditions are likely to allow a greater success rate when it comes to ‘hatching’ time.
GET IN TOUCH! If you have any ‘rural riddles’ for Jeremy, contact him by email at
jcjeremyhobson@gmail.com Jeremy Hobson is a France-based writer who specialises in all country matters
j-c-jeremy-hobson.co.uk
FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: March/April 2025 105
©CHISWICK CHAP/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
©PIERRE ANDRÉ LECLERCQ/CC BY-SA 4.0)
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