Overview
- City districts have posted warnings and closed multiple parks, sports fields and playgrounds this week after large oak processionary moth infestations were found in sites including Görlitzer Park and Jungfernheide.
- Health officials say the caterpillars shed hollow 'brenn' hairs that contain the protein thaumetopoein and can cause skin rashes, eye irritation and respiratory symptoms, and they advise avoiding contact, changing clothes, showering and washing contaminated items at 60°C.
- Residents in heavily affected areas have launched petitions and reported nests on buildings and cars, and local officials and housing companies are under pressure as responsibility for removal is split between districts, plant‑protection offices and private landowners.
- Authorities and experts are debating responses that must be timed to larval stages: early spring use of Bacillus thuringiensis can target young larvae, while current options focus on vacuuming, controlled burning or trapping to remove mature nests without harming beneficial species.
- Beyond Berlin, detections have risen in regions such as Bremen and parts of Saxony while some cities report no confirmed cases, and scientists link larger outbreaks to warm, dry springs that favor the moths and leave toxic hairs hazardous for up to three years.