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
