JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - The last few days have been a nightmare for retired policeman Bobby Yeoh and his wife as their home has been "invaded" by thousands of caterpillars.

Yeoh, 64, said he was shocked to see the caterpillars entering his home since Friday.

"Initially, I thought that the caterpillars would go away but every day the numbers are increasing," he told The Star at his home in Taman Sri Plentong here yesterday.

Yeoh, who has been living here for the past nine years, said that the caterpillars were also a health risk as they caused itchiness.

"My six-year-old grandson Lee Jun Hau told me that he felt very itchy all over," he said.

Yeoh said he had to buy two bottles of kerosene to get rid of the caterpillars.

"We are also taking medicine for skin allergy as the itch has been unbearable," he said, claiming that the caterpillars could be from an oil palm plantation near his home.