Overview

• Stadtnaturexperte Derk Ehlert reports that numerous Berlin trees are currently draped in white webs spun by Gespinstmotte caterpillars
• Four months of drought have fueled unusually extensive webbing, sometimes covering entire canopies
• These caterpillars pose no health risk to humans despite their capacity to strip fresh foliage completely
• Affected trees draw on energy reserves from previous seasons and will produce a second flush of leaves after the infestation
• Specialists recommend manual removal or high-pressure water sprays and advise against the use of pesticides