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Bavarian Towns Intensify Measures Against Oak Processionary Moth Outbreak

Natural predators are curbing larval numbers after peak feeding triggered severe oak defoliation

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Overview

  • Since mid-June, oak processionary moth larvae in southern Mittelfranken have reached peak feeding stage, causing complete leaf loss in some oak stands.
  • The German Weather Service’s spring online warning system shows most larvae across Bavaria have entered a highly voracious feeding phase.
  • Health authorities warn that caterpillar hairs can cause pustules, skin rashes and in rare cases respiratory distress or allergic shock in humans.
  • Bayerische Landesanstalt für Wald und Forstwirtschaft biologist Hannes Lemme identifies parasitic wasps among natural enemies helping to suppress larval populations.
  • Municipal measures range from spraying known infestation sites in Gunzenhausen to tea tree oil treatments in Rosenheim and ending new oak plantings in Schweinfurt.