Odense residents question why oak trees cannot be felled

Around 700 residents attended a public meeting in Odense Congress Center on Friday, many asking why the city cannot fell thousands of oak trees to combat an infestation of oak processionary moth caterpillars, according to a report by Danish broadcaster DR.

The caterpillars, known locally as the “larvae from hell,” carry microscopic hairs that can trigger allergic reactions and rashes in humans and animals. Authorities have repeatedly stated that felling the trees is not a viable solution, instead favoring biological controls such as introducing parasitic wasps that prey on the caterpillars.

Officials clarified that the current outbreak is not a “new normal” but a result of a heatwave creating ideal conditions for the spread of the caterpillars’ toxic hairs. They warned, however, that similar large-scale infestations could recur in the future.