These little buggers are trouble right from the start. Before they morph into the moth, they're caterpillars with barbed hairs that can cause severe dermatitis in people, as well as also causing respiratory problems for sensitive people.
Maine entomologists are putting out a warning that now is the time to look for and destroy browntail caterpillar nests as they predict this will be the worst season in history for the invasive browntail moth.