Swathes of woodland will be sprayed in a bid to eradicate a toxic caterpillar which can cause eye problems and breathing difficulties.
The Forestry Commission will use helicopters to spray a pesticide over one part of England where the oak processionary caterpillar has made its home.
The insects, which usually emerge from eggs in May, are covered in thousands of tiny hairs which release an irritating substance called thaumetopoein.
The hairs are blown about by the wind and cause painful skin rashes in humans and animals.
They can also lead to eye and throat problems in more extreme cases.
Stewart Snape, of the Forestry Commission, said: "Most oak processionary moth treatment is done by spraying individual trees from the ground, but it's much more difficult to find and treat the pest in a woodland environment than in trees in a park or street, with a significant risk that some will be missed.
"The most effective way to treat the woodland is to spray it from a helicopter using an ultra-low-volume spray system. Helicopters can fly lower and slower than fixed-wing aircraft, and therefore target the spray very accurately.
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