;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=ef8efaef9e1b6e789c4ed689bb3e7e67e07cbb1b7dac213e704761825dd66823 "Oak processionary moth: What you have to consider when making contact")
In order to prevent their spread, forest protectors leave no stone unturned: oak processionary moths are already being shot at with special paintball guns – in order to confuse them. The small caterpillars are considered a nuisance, after all they nibble off the leaves of oak trees. And they can also be dangerous for humans: With their poisonous hairs, they trigger skin rashes, irritate the eyes and lead to coughing, sore throats and fever. It is therefore better not to get too close to the little animals.
Areas with oak processionary moths should be avoided
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.
How do I react if I have had contact?
The NRW Ministry of the Environment and Agriculture recommends the following measures:
Change clothes immediately and remove stinging hairs on the skin with the help of a piece of adhesive tape. Also shower and wash your hair. If eyes are affected, rinse them out. Anyone experiencing severe symptoms should seek medical attention. According to the German Nature Conservation Union (Nabu), affected items of clothing should also be washed at at least 60 degrees to destroy the nettle toxin in the hair.
Caution: Hair can also stick to shoes for a long time and can trigger reactions again and again.
How do I deal with a caterpillar infestation in the garden?
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.
When is the danger over?
Even if the caterpillars are removed, the health risk for humans remains. The remaining nests of the caterpillars are still dangerous because they contain fallen hair and shed larval skins.
You should also take signs with information about an infestation, which can be found in some places in forests, 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 size of the infestation 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, they are more likely to be spider moths.