Danish authorities are intensifying efforts to contain an outbreak of oak processionary moth caterpillars whose toxic hairs cause skin rashes and itching, prompting closures of public spaces and a kindergarten in Odense. Residents have faced disruptions as playgrounds, recycling stations, and parts of cycle paths were shut down, while Odense Municipality deployed vacuuming, foam spraying, and nest removal with two contractors and a third on order.
Natural Sciences Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen called for a coordinated response among authorities, and the government opened a dedicated webpage on the Agency for Green Land Conversion and Water Environment's site to consolidate public advice. A local citizen group notified police of a planned protest on July 4, while one Odense councillor proposed felling thousands of oak trees.
The pest, believed to have arrived via imported nursery trees during tram construction, has also been spotted on 30 trees in Copenhagen and in Jutland. The species has separately reached Poland, spreading across three provinces.