Dill shares browntail moth expertise with BDN
James Dill, pest management specialist with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, talked with the Bangor Daily News about browntail moths, an invasive species that can be hazardous to people. “I’m getting a lot of calls from people wondering what to do about them. I tell people to kill them any way they can,” he said, excepting spraying chemical pesticides. Dill suggested donning gloves, sweeping the moths off buildings and putting them in a pail of soapy water. One female browntail moth can lay hundreds of eggs. Tiny hairs on the caterpillars can cause a rash similar to that of poison ivy. For some, the rash can be serious and last several weeks. If inhaled, hairs can cause serious respiratory issues. Stray hairs also fall off flying moths. “Those toxic hairs stay in the environment for two to three years,” he said. “So even if you don’t see any caterpillars and feel safe, you could come in from raking leaves or mowing grass and discover you have the rash because you have stirred up those stray hairs that are on the ground.”