Overview
- The outbreak has expanded across multiple states and cities by mid‑June, with heavy infestations reported in Bavaria, Berlin and other regions and authorities prioritising playgrounds, schools and sports fields for removal.
- Health agencies warn the larvae's microscopic urticating hairs can cause severe skin reactions and breathing problems, placing children, people with asthma and pets at particular risk.
- Municipal crews and contracted specialist firms are operating at near capacity, producing treatment delays of up to about two weeks in hotspots and prompting Berlin districts to request central coordination from the Senat.
- Cities rely mainly on mechanical removal by teams in protective gear and targeted biological BT sprays; some rural areas have used helicopter applications where infestations are extensive and ground work is impractical.
- The surge is linked to unusually warm, dry spring conditions that favour mass larval development and the hairs' persistence on nests and bark for months means long‑term hazards, rising costs and renewed calls for better early planning and funding.