Browntail Moth Advisory

According to Maine Forest Services, Browntail Moths have been showing up at monitoring stations in the South Portland area, and they are requesting that people who have lights outside that are non-essential to turn them off to keep them away from your homes. Browntail Moth caterpillars have been known to eat trees and create dangerous allergic reactions, similar to Poison Ivy on the human body. This issue has been going on in Northern New England for decades.

According to the Maine Bugs Facebook page, Browntail Moths are not killed by bug zappers that are outside of Mainer's homes, in fact, most of those appear to kill bugs that browntail moms would consider predatory. It is also reported that most males go to the lights while the females continue to roost in the trees and the foliage where they lay their eggs.

Here is a video from News Center Maine talking about he effects these moths have on the environment.