Ireland on alert for dangerous and invasive OPM pest first seen here in June

Awareness crucial in the battle against Oak Processionary Moth

Oak Processionary caterpillars on the move.

An observant walker who spotted a caterpillar nest on a freshly planted oak tree in Dublin last June has put Ireland on alert for more sightings of the Oak Processionary Moth.

It was the first time the dangerous and invasive pest was seen here, and there is now a full-powered effort led by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to maintain Ireland’s “protected zone” status as an area free of the pest, which also poses a public health risk.