Press release

Oak Processionary Moth identified in Derbyshire

The public are being asked to remain vigilant after a number of oak trees in Derbyshire have been confirmed to be infested with Oak Processionary Moth.

From:
Forestry Commission
Published
4 July 2023

A number of oak trees in the Long Eaton area of Derbyshire have been confirmed to be infested with the tree pest Oak Processionary Moth.

Members of the public are being asked to remain vigilant after a number of oak trees in the Long Eaton area of Derbyshire were confirmed to be infested with the tree pest Oak Processionary Moth (OPM).

The trees are currently being treated and extensive surveillance work is ongoing to further investigate the findings and to direct appropriate control measures to prevent their potential spread.

Swift and robust action is being taken to identify the source of the outbreak, which has happened outside of OPM’s established area in London and some neighbouring counties. This includes implementing a rigorous management programme with the aim of eradicating the pest from this area, and extensively monitoring sites in the surrounding area through a programme of ground surveys and pheromone trapping.

Members of the public in Long Eaton and surrounding areas across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are urged to be especially vigilant and check for any signs of their own oak trees being infested, including those recently planted. OPM caterpillars have black heads and grey bodies covered in long white hairs, and they usually move nose-to-tail in a procession. OPM nests are typically dome or teardrop-shaped, averaging the size of a tennis ball. They are white when fresh, but soon become discoloured and brown. Please see our Forestry Commission infographic for further information on the characteristics of OPM.

If you spot the pest, please immediately report the sighting, with photos as supporting evidence, via our TreeAlert portal. Alternatively, you can email opm@forestrycommission.gov.uk or call 0300 067 4442. Owners and managers of oak trees can support the fight in tackling this pest by giving access to Forestry Commission surveyors to assess whether their trees are infested. OPM caterpillars and nests should not be touched under any circumstances.

Nicola Spence, UK Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

Oak Processionary Moth is an insect pest of oak trees and poses a threat to both plant and human health. We are taking swift and effective action to treat the infested trees and eradicate the pest from this area, and prevent further spread in the surrounding area.

The Government takes the management of Oak Processionary Moth very seriously and has a robust programme in place to reduce the level of pest prevalence and protect oak resource, whilst supporting landowners to manage the risks associated with OPM in the areas where it has been identified.

Andrew Hoppit, Oak Processionary Moth Project Manager at the Forestry Commission, said:

Following extensive surveillance, our experts have identified the presence of Oak Processionary Moth on several oak trees in Derbyshire.

We are responding to the incident through our wider environment surveillance and trapping programme and are taking robust action to eradicate the pest.

We encourage all members of the public in the Derbyshire area to remain vigilant for the pest and report any sightings to the Forestry Commission.

Oak processionary moth (OPM) is native to southern Europe and is an insect pest of oak trees. It was first detected in London in 2006 and has since established in London and some surrounding counties, with the rest of the country designated a Pest Free Area. OPM poses a threat to oak trees and humans. Its caterpillars feed on the leaves of several species of oak trees, causing them to lose their leaves and negatively impact their growth. It can cause itchy rashes and eye and throat infections when touched by members of the public.

Since 2012, the Government has had a programme in place to minimise the size, spread and impact of OPM. Over the last five years, £10 million has been invested into oak health, including the management of oak processionary moth, as well as research to develop novel control techniques and new policy responses. The programme has been adapted over time to account for emerging evidence and surveillance data and we have strengthened legislation to protect oak trees against OPM through movement and imports, including restricting the import of high-risk oak trees into the whole of GB, unless specific conditions are met.

In recent years the Government and the Forestry Commission made key changes to how OPM is managed, including:

  • introducing legislation to establish a demarcated area that can permit the movement of large oak trees within the Buffer Zone and Established Area, if businesses comply with specific movement and biosecurity requirements
  • expanding support available to landowners in the area where OPM is established to help facilitate local level action to manage the risks
  • strengthening legislation to protect oak trees against OPM through movement and imports, including restricting the import of high-risk oak trees into the whole of Great Britain, unless specific conditions are met

Further information on how to remain vigilant:

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Further information on Government and Forestry Commission changes for managing Oak Processionary Moth:

  • last month, we introduced a new biosecurity capital item within the Tree Health Pilot’s grant offer for OPM to fund signage and biosecurity items including boot cleaning equipment and red tape/posts for cordoning off areas. For more information and details of how to apply see Grants for oak with oak processionary moth
  • in May 2023, we released our annual warning communications for OPM, to raise public awareness of the pest and increase biosecurity as the greatest risk period for begins
  • in May 2023, we also introduced new legislation to allow movement of large oak trees within the operational zones of the Established Area and Buffer Zone, provided that the trees are moved by professional operators and that biosecurity requirements are met along with movement restrictions
  • in March, The Forestry Commission announced an update to the operational zones and boundaries to manage the spread of OPM. In response to government surveillance in 2022, the Established Area in which eradication of OPM is not possible, and the Buffer Zone where an annual programme of OPM management led by the Forestry Commission takes place, were expanded. To view the zones you can use the Forestry Commission interactive map and search by postcode.
  • last year, Defra and the Forestry Commission launched a new grant to support local communities to respond to OPM in the Established Area within London and the South-East. This pays for a facilitator to form a group of land managers with oak trees on their land, create an OPM management plan for the group, as well as the hire of contractors to survey their oak trees for OPM
  • please view the guide for the policy changes to OPM management from 24 May 2023

Updates to this page

Published 4 July 2023