Oak Processionary Moth Infestation Spreads Across Berlin, Causing Health Concerns

An insect infestation is spreading across Berlin, forcing closures and health warnings in parks, sports grounds, and residential areas, German media has reported. The culprit is the oak processionary moth caterpillar, a tree-killing pest covered in toxic stinging hairs. [...] Last year, Berlin’s Senate Department for the Environment recorded 5,032 infested oak trees at 881 locations across the city. Experts predict that the outbreak will worsen as warm, dry weather favors the caterpillars’ spread, with forecasters expecting hotter and drier-than-average conditions across Germany and Central Europe this summer. [...] Frustrated residents have also launched a petition demanding a binding protection plan for Jungfernheide, which has already attracted more than 4,500 signatures.