As annoying as they can be, these plants and animals all have a role in nature. The stinging hairs of the oak processionary caterpillar protect the caterpillar against birds. The spines of a nettle keep grazers at a distance, while at the same time it is a food plant for butterfly caterpillars such as the Kleine Vos and Dagpauwoog.
Mosquitoes and wasps are also important: mosquito larvae are eaten by fish, and wasps keep populations of other insects in check. Even the giant hogweed, although invasive, is attractive for certain insects such as nectarbron.
According to forest ranger Lysander van Oossanen, we should not see pests separately from their environment. “What we experience as a nuisance is often a mirror. Many so -called teasing types flourish in places where the system has been out of balance.” He mentions nitrogen enrichment, climate change and fragmentation of habitats as causes. Staatsbosbeheer therefore only intervenes if it is really necessary, and tries to restore ecological balance where possible. “The species themselves are not the problem,” he says, “but often messengers of what goes wrong in the system.”