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.