Maine Is Asking You To Help ‘#Knockout Browntail’ In February

The Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation & Forestry has been reaching out to the citizens of Maine with a '4 R's' campaign to help reduce the population of the invasive, poisonous insect, the Browntail Moth.

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Their efforts include educating the public on this invasive, poisonous insect which has been wreaking havoc in Coastal Maine communities and noticeable movement more inland with last year's brood. The caterpillar form of the Browntail Moth has poisonous hairs that, when they come into contact with humans, cause itchy rashes and can even cause respiratory issues if breathed in.

The four R's:

• Recognize: know what you are looking for when clipping trees of the Browntail Moth nests.
• Remove: Clip nests protecting your eyes and skin and destroy the web by soaking the nest or burning it.
• Recruit: Get a professional to help with mitigation, such as a licensed arborist to get nests that are unreachable or a licensed pesticide applicator during the growing season.
• Reach Out: Let your town know if you are finding infestation on your property and let your neighbors know, too.

A campaign called 'Knockout Browntail' is calling on citizens to help other Mainers gain awareness of the issue and organize in their communities. The goal is for community members to come together to reduce the insect population during its dormant season before the next brood hatches in the spring. The aim is to have communities come together to mitigate in February by clipping trees of the wintertime webs in trees. The '4 R's' will help people know what to look for and what to do to help control the population of this invasive insect.

Check out the campaign information for #KnockoutBrowntail and news in Maine about the Browntail Moth infestation, check out the maine.gov website from the Maine Forest Service.