Dangerous caterpillar plague: oak processionary spinner threatens health!

Dangerous caterpillar plague: oak processionary spinner threatens health!

In the Delmenhorst region, there is a serious health warning noticeable in terms of oak processionary spinner these days. This domestic butterfly species is a danger to humans and animals, especially from May to August. The spinner belongs to the family family and has established itself in oak forests in South and Central Europe for decades. With the progressive global warming, the species increasingly spreads to the north of the situation in our region. Delmenhorst reports that ...

The transmission is via the burner hair of the caterpillars, which can cause allergic reactions. In contact, symptoms such as strong itching, reddening of the skin and breathing difficulties arise. The air can establish contact with these burner hair when walking past, which is why a distance to infected oaks is recommended. If the burning hair gets on the skin or in the airways, the symptoms can become very uncomfortable-in the worst case there is even an allergic shock! ZDF today describes that ...

preparation and protection

If you are in affected areas, you should protect yourself accordingly: long clothing, gloves and ideally also protective glasses are part of the basic equipment. When contacting the burner hair, quick action is the order of the day: wash from showering, change hair and change your contaminated clothes-preferably wash immediately and separately. The Environment Agency advises that ...

oak processionary spinners prefer to lay their eggs on oaks. From the end of April to the beginning of May, the toxic burner hair will develop. The caterpillars live five to six stages of development before puping to night folds. In late summer, it is high season when the moths lay their eggs and start the circulation again - a vicious circle that not only troubles allergy sufferers but also for forestry.

It is the responsibility of the property owners to ensure professional control. This should definitely be done by trained specialists who are familiar with mechanical pest control. Singing the nests and the subsequent burning is one of the effective measures. It is also advisable to report sightings of the oak processionary spinner. Residents and visitors are advised to report suspicious spinning nests to the cemetery administration-either by phone or via email. Delmenhorst informs that …

If you live or work in an affected area, you should be particularly vigilant. Preventive steps, such as setting up warning signs and barriers in suspicious zones, can help minimize the risk. In the event of weak infestation, immediate chemical control could be avoided if the tree is under low human use. Instead, environmentally friendly solutions should be taken into account.

is important to find out well about the risks and dealing with the oak processionary spinner and to react quickly in an emergency. This is the only way we can protect ourselves and others.