The Toxic Caterpillars Taking Over Europe
In Berlin, and in many other parts of Europe, a species of toxic caterpillars is spreading. The oak processionary caterpillar, or “Eichenprozessionsspinner” in German, has hundreds of thousands of stinging microscopic hairs that can project hundreds of metres through the air. Contact with their hairs, which can travel through clothing and last several years on surfaces, inflicts excruciating rashes and can cause breathing problems. German news outlets have called the infestation a “citywide plague” and the government has hired a workforce to vacuum them up.
