Germany faces €2.8 million cost and waterway closures amid oak processionary moth outbreak

In Bremen, authorities estimate that fighting the oak processionary moth infestation will cost about €2.8 million. The number of affected trees has risen from roughly 900 in 2025 to about 5,600, with removal work prioritized for schools, kindergartens, playgrounds and other high‑traffic areas.

In Brandenburg’s Unterspreewald, roughly half of the navigable waterways have been temporarily closed to boat traffic because of health risks from the caterpillars’ irritating hairs. The Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment listed dozens of river sections, including the Dresslerstrom, Krausnicker Strom and Pfahlspree, as off‑limits until further notice. Officials say the pest’s spread this year is unusually strong, linked to climate‑change‑driven conditions, and warn the hairs can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation.

Both regions are mobilising specialized contractors to remove nests, while private owners are responsible for treatment on private land.