Oak trees beside a landscaped commercial business park

Who we help

OPM management for commercial property

Business parks and multi-let sites put oaks directly beside entrances, car parks and outdoor break areas — the places occupiers, visitors and delivery drivers use most.

Site pressures

What makes this setting different

Occupier expectations

Tenants expect a visible, competent response. Ambiguity generates complaints faster than the caterpillars generate hairs.

Car parks and entrances

Oaks over parking bays and footways create daily, unavoidable exposure and can also lead to complaints about vehicles.

Service charge and budgeting

Works recovered through service charge need clear justification, scope and records.

Contractor coordination

Landscaping contracts must include a hold on works beneath affected trees during the season.

Oak trees beside a landscaped commercial business park

Our approach

How OPM management works for commercial property

Scaled to the number of oaks on site and the way people actually use the ground beneath them.

  • 01Survey focused on car parks, entrances, footways and external break areas
  • 02Risk classification supporting service charge justification and budgeting
  • 03Occupier notices and clear signage at affected trees
  • 04Landscaping contractor briefing and works-hold instructions
  • 05Seasonal monitoring with reporting suitable for managing agents

The framework

The seven-step management framework

The same structure applies across sectors; the emphasis and timing change.

  1. Step 1

    Oak Tree Inventory

    Establish what you actually have: every oak, its location, approximate size and the ground use beneath it.

  2. Step 2

    Baseline OPM Survey

    A first full inspection across the inventory, recording activity, nests and feeding damage tree by tree.

  3. Step 3

    Risk Classification

    Rank trees by exposure and observed activity so attention concentrates where people and trees meet.

  4. Step 4

    Seasonal Monitoring

    Repeat inspection at the life-cycle stages that matter, with findings recorded against the same tree records.

  5. Step 5

    Intervention Where Required

    Act where exposure justifies it — exclusion, nest management or professional removal — not everywhere by default.

  6. Step 6

    Documentation

    Keep a defensible record of what was inspected, what was found, what was decided and who was informed.

  7. Step 7

    Annual Review

    Review the season, adjust priority trees and inspection timing, and carry the record forward.

Next steps

Identification and official reporting

Not sure what you've found?

Ask an OPM Expert

Send clear photographs of the tree, the caterpillars or the suspected nest and our team will give you an initial visual opinion to help you understand your next steps.

Photo identification is preliminary and may not always be conclusive. A professional site inspection or official confirmation may be required.

Think it may be OPM?

Email Us Your Photos

Email photographs of the tree, the caterpillars or the suspected nest directly to advice@oakprocessionarymoth.co.uk, along with the site postcode and what sits beneath the tree.

We aim to respond within 48 hours. Photograph only from a safe distance.

Commercial Property: common questions