Oak processionary moths are a health hazard. At a rest stop in Hamburg, parking spaces have now even been blocked. Because the stinging hairs of the caterpillars break off easily and thus trigger allergic reactions. What you can do if you do come into contact.
Oak processionary moths are exciting to watch: how countless animals with long, tousled hair hold an impressive procession over the tree trunks, which can be several meters long. But you shouldn’t get too close to the animals.
Because the stinging hairs of the caterpillars, which break off easily and fall from trees onto walkers, cyclists or people resting, are a danger to our health. They can cause allergic skin reactions, eye irritation, cough, sore throat and fever. Therefore, areas where the oak processionary moth is active should be avoided as completely as possible.
The NRW Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture recommends the following measures:
Caution: The hair can also stick to shoes for a long time and can trigger reactions again and again.
The NRW Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture advises that special companies should be commissioned to vacuum the nests of webs. This can be pest control, for example, in some places the fire brigade also helps. The Nabu recommends sucking off the animals instead of flaming them. The latter could injure the trees and whirl the stinging hairs around.
Even if the caterpillars are removed, the health risk for humans remains. The remaining nests of the caterpillars are still dangerous, as they contain fallen hair and shed larval skins.
Signs indicating an infestation, which can be found in some places in forests, should also be taken seriously: According to the Bavarian State Office for Forests and Forestry, the hair can remain in the area for several years and accumulate in the undergrowth or in the ground cover .
But: Not all webs found in trees and bushes in spring and summer belong to oak processionary moths. As their name suggests, they are mainly found on oaks, sometimes also on hornbeams. If it is a question of other trees, these can also be the structures of the harmless spider moth.
The infestation size can also be an indication: According to Nabu, the webs of oak processionary moths are often only in one or a few places in the tree. If whole bushes and trees are spun in, they are more likely to be web moths.
