SEACOAST ONLINE • July 8, 2021
Insect expert Tom Schmeelk recounted a time he heard from a young mother who had called a help line on the verge of tears because she and her kids were forced to move in with her parents. The reason, she told him, was a rash plaguing her children because of a browntail moth outbreak. The browntail moth is an invasive species that can harm humans and destroy foliage on trees and shrubs, but the environmental impact is secondary compared to the public health threat it presents, according to Schmeelk. Its growth has accelerated in Maine for the past six years and has now been spotted in 15 of the state's 16 counties, everywhere but in York County, Schmeelk said. State officials suspect they will find the insect in York County in their next survey.