Overview

• The Brandenburger Umweltministerium declared a ‘high level’ infestation across districts such as Ostprignitz-Ruppin and Potsdam-Mittelmark after a surge in nest reports and allergic reactions.
• In Berlin-Charlottenburg, Kita Erlebnispark and Strandbad Jungfernheide were ordered to close following dermatitis cases linked to caterpillar hairs, with operators removing nests and targeting a weekend reopening.
• The caterpillars’ microscopic barbed hairs release the toxin thaumetopoein and can cause skin inflammation, respiratory distress and asthma when they break away and become airborne.
• Officials are urging residents to report nests to local green-space offices or the state plant protection service and to hire professionals for removals before late July when larval risk subsides.
• Entomologists say milder winters and warmer springs have driven the moth’s comeback from near extinction, enabling rapid spread across Germany.