Oak processionary moth reaches Copenhagen

Copenhagen Municipality has confirmed the presence of the oak processionary moth in three locations within the city, according to a press release reported by Ritzau.

The larvae were discovered in three oak trees on the outskirts of Amager Fælled during preventive monitoring efforts.

“We had hoped it would take longer before the oak processionary moth reached Copenhagen. Now it’s here, and we are prepared and will begin combating it where it has been found,” said Mette Bundgaard, section chief for the Climate, Environment, and Technical Administration in Copenhagen Municipality.

The species is a night-flying moth that lives in oak trees. Its larvae pupate in communal nests and develop into adult moths within one to two weeks.

The larvae are grey-brown with long white hairs and a row of blue and orange spots along their backs. Each larva has around 60,000 hairs, which detach when the larva sheds its skin. These hairs can cause skin rashes, eye irritation, and respiratory issues in humans and animals upon contact, with symptoms resembling those from stinging nettles or jellyfish. In rare cases, severe allergic reactions may occur.

After mating, females lay between 30 to 200 eggs in the tree’s branches. The larvae gather in nests and moult there. Native to Central and Southern Europe, the species is not classified as invasive in the EU but has spread northward in recent years, now appearing in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and England.

Copenhagen Municipality has engaged specialists experienced in controlling the oak processionary moth to remove the nests. The work is expected to be completed before the weekend.

Bundgaard emphasised the need to contain and combat the larvae before they “spread uncontrollably.”