Germany battles oak processionary moth invasion, closing schools and parks

Several German states are confronting an outbreak of the oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea). The caterpillars' hairs are highly irritating; each carries around 600,000 fine setae that can cause urticaria, intense itching, conjunctivitis, asthma attacks and, in rare cases, anaphylactic shock. Health authorities advise immediate washing and medical attention for severe reactions.

The infestation has forced the closure of schools in Hessen’s Bad Wildungen and other facilities, as well as the shutdown of picnic areas such as Berlin’s Görlitzer Park. Federal and state officials are combating the spread by aerial spraying of insecticide from helicopters over affected forests. Climate warming is cited as a factor that enables the moth to expand its range across all German Länder, with Berlin, Brandenburg, Hessen, Saxony‑Anhalt, Saxony and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern reporting the highest impact this summer.