Playgrounds and sports facilities across Berlin are being cordoned off as authorities battle a growing infestation of oak processionary caterpillars.
The tiny pests, which may cause skin irritation and respiration problems, have spread across all 12 districts of the German capital, prompting local leaders to demand urgent motion.
Each caterpillar is roofed in tons of of 1000’s of microscopic hairs that may be carried by the wind and trigger allergic reactions in people and animals.
The infestation has already forced the cancellation of a summer festival on the Jungfernheide family centre and led to restrictions in popular green spaces including Görlitzer Park, where barbecues have been temporarily banned.
District authorities have now written jointly to the Berlin Senate calling for the outbreak to be treated as a public health hazard fairly than simply a plant protection issue.
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They’re urging greater funding and city-wide coordination to tackle the issue, with schools, playgrounds, daycare centres and sports facilities identified as priorities.
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Control measures include vacuuming up nests and removing them using hot water and high-pressure foam systems.
Last month, a warning was issued by Woking Council warning people to avoid the identical breed of caterpillars.
The US is coping with its own spread of a parasitic worm called the Recent World screwworm.
The pest can kill fully-grown cows in lower than two weeks and was present in Texas.
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