Overview
- The city of Göppingen, which closed a playground on Monday, said crews will clean the site and remove nests this week to protect children and visitors.
- Regional authorities in Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg and Potsdam have cordoned off parks, schoolyards and sports fields and are vacuuming nests at high-traffic spots where possible.
- Health agencies advise anyone who touched the caterpillars to rinse skin, shower, wash hair and launder clothing at 60°C and to keep pets away because hairs cling to fur and objects.
- Officials say aerial or large-scale biozide spraying is no longer suitable at the current larval stage, so work is focused on targeted removals now and planning for next year.
- Warm, dry conditions favor outbreaks, social-media posts have documented incursions into balconies and bins, and experts warn the hairs can remain hazardous in the environment for months so monitoring will continue.