Overview
- Local authorities across multiple states have reported a sharp rise in oak‑processionary moth (EPS) nests this spring and have closed or cordoned off schools, parks and sports fields to protect children and the public.
- Specialist teams are prioritizing high‑use sites and are removing nests by vacuuming, treating select trees with nematodes or bioinsecticides, using drones or helicopters in some areas, and thermally disposing of collected material.
- The moth’s caterpillars develop microscopic 'brennhaare' from the third larval stage that carry proteins that can cause skin rashes, eye inflammation and breathing problems, and these hairs can remain hazardous in the environment for months or years.
- Berlin’s twelve boroughs have formally appealed to the Senate for centralized coordination, reclassification of EPS as a health issue, and predictable funding after municipal budgets and staff were stretched by mounting removal costs.
- Experts link the northward spread and stronger outbreaks to warmer, drier conditions tied to climate change, and officials warn that control tools have practical limits so responses will focus on protecting schools, playgrounds and other sensitive locations.