Overview

• Extensive silvery webs and defoliation caused by Gespinstmotten caterpillars are currently visible across Bavaria, Hesse, and parts of NRW, including Frankfurt and Münster.
• The outbreak is driven by favorable weather conditions, including a mild winter and warm, dry spring, enabling a mass reproduction of the pest.
• Affected trees and shrubs, although stripped of their leaves, are expected to recover and regrow foliage by the end of the growing season, according to ecological experts.
• Experts discourage the use of insecticides, citing their ineffectiveness and environmental harm, and recommend manual removal of nests and bolstering natural predators such as parasitoid wasps and predatory bugs.
• The outbreak highlights the potential for increased pest activity under changing climate conditions, emphasizing the importance of sustainable management practices.