ASSOCIATED PRESS • February 7, 2022
Maine’s browntail moth nuisance has risen to the level that state forestry officials feel the pest deserves its own month. Browntail moths are the source of an ongoing outbreak in Maine that has bugged the state since 2015. The moth caterpillars have toxic hairs that cause an itchy rash in humans. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry said February of this year is Browntail Moth Awareness Month. The state is using the month to encourage residents to use the moth’s dormant season to help slow their spread.