BRUNSWICK

They’re creepy and they’re crawly and itchy; not only do they eat foliage, browntail moth caterpillars produce toxic little hairs that can cause bad enough rashes and respiratory issues to keep folks holed up inside this time of year.

The caterpillars will molt six times as they grow. Each molt releases microscopic hairs into the air that cause skin irritation or respiratory problems.

“We have seen a significant number of patients in our emergency department this year over the previous few years with rashes due to exposure to browntail moths,” said Steve Trockman, director of Community Relations and Outreach at Mid Coast–Parkview Health. “We have not seen any severe respiratory issues related to browntail moths yet this year. Luckily at Mid Coast Hospital, we are well positioned from a surge capacity perspective to handle an increase in patients.”

Brunswick Town Council Vice Chairman Steve Walker told the council Monday he’s taken many calls from people concerned about browntail moths and what the town is doing about them.

“There’s a lot of very large mature oak trees without a single leaf on them,” he said. “It’s probably one of the worse browntail moth years I’ve seen and with warmer winters it’s just going to get worse and worse until we do something about it.”

He was at Lishness Park over the weekend where the snack shack was “dripping” with the caterpillars which were getting on children.

“I think the town should consider carrying in our budget some treatment for them because it is a legitimate health hazard,” Walker said.

Maine Forest Service entomologist Charlene Donahue told The Times Record last year the browntail population was higher than usual. This past fall she did an aerial survey looking for tree defoliation because the little caterpillars come out in August and feed before wrapping leaves in silk in the fall.

“They did so much feeding, I mapped over 10,000 acres of browntail moth defoliation,” she said. The aerial survey and the browntail winter web surveys let her know this year would likely see a bumper crop of browntail moth caterpillars.

“It’s really bad this year in Brunswick, Topsham, Bath, West Bath and Bowdoinham in particular,” she said Tuesday. “The caterpillars came out because it was warm at the beginning of the spring, then there was a cool period and all the trees stopped putting out their leaves and the caterpillars ate every bit of green on a lot of the trees, and then dropped down.

“They are crawling everywhere,” she added.

The population is of a greater magnitude than last year and has spread beyond where they are normally found — to places like Litchfield, Nobleboro, Palermo and Auburn.

People can wash the caterpillars off their homes with a hose, she said. Don’t try to sweep them off because it will only send their toxic hairs flying around in the air even more.

If browntail moths are present, it is better to work outside in wet conditions. And wear long pants and sleeves, Donahue said. She’s had to tell some people they just may not be able to do things outside for a couple more weeks.

Donahue is scheduled to discuss browntail moths tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the town office in Bowdoinham. The town’s librarian even started a Midcoast Maine browntail moth support page on Facebook.

Some communities are using pesticides to combat the browntail. Areas along Route 88 in Cumberland were sprayed, which Donahue said was effective in fighting the pest.

There are regulations concerning pesticide treatment of browntail moth, including legislation that allows municipalities to treat without homeowner permission if the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention declares an area a health risk.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

WAYS TO AVOID ADVERSE AFFECTS of poisonous browntail moth caterpillar hair:

• Avoid places heavily infested by caterpillars. Campers should plan their stays on uninfested islands.

• Take a cool shower and change clothes after any activity that might involve contact with browntail moth hairs.

• Dry laundry inside during June and July to avoid having the hairs become impregnated in clothing.

• Wear respirator, goggles and coveralls tightly closed at neck, wrists and ankles when performing activities that stir up caterpillar hairs (mowing, raking, weed whacking, removing pupal webbing from eaves and boats).

• Perform those tasks that stir up caterpillar hairs on damp days or wet down material with a hose to keep hair from becoming airborne.

• Use caution cleaning debris left by caterpillars because the toxin on the hairs remains a hazard for a number of years. Summer residents should keep this in mind when opening cottages that have been closed all winter.

• Consult your physician if you develop a severe reaction to the browntail moth.

• The chances for contacting browntail hairs increase during dry, windy conditions.

For more information, visit the Maine Forest website: www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/insects/browntail_moth.htm