Bangor is aiming to teach residents how to eradicate browntail moths before the pests wreak havoc on the city once again.
The forestry division of the Bangor Public Works Department, in partnership with Eastern Maine Community College, will hold a training event on Tuesday to teach how to identify browntail moth webs in trees, cut them down and safely dispose of them.
The event will launch the city’s free pole cutter loan program, through which Bangor residents can borrow a pole cutter for a week to clip the nests out of the trees on their properties. There will be five pole cutters available.
The event will begin at 3 p.m. in Eastern Maine Community College’s Maine Hall in Bangor. Details for how to find the event are listed on the city’s website.
Browntail moth caterpillars have tiny poisonous hairs that cause a painful, itchy rash, which is similar to poison ivy and can last days to weeks. The hairs can also cause respiratory problems when inhaled, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The rash can appear if someone comes in direct contact with a caterpillar, or from airborne hairs the caterpillars release when they emerge from their winter webs each spring. The hairs can also fall on surfaces and remain airborne for two to three years once shed.
The invasive species were typically found from Cape Cod to the Maine coast, but the caterpillars have slowly spread into inland Maine, including Penobscot County, and become progressively more prevalent in recent years. In 2021, browntail moth webs were reported in all of Maine’s 16 counties, according to the city.
The insects can also wreak havoc on trees, as they eat tree leaves.
Pockets of browntail moth webs have been spotted all over Bangor, especially in the Fairmount, Little City, Tree Streets and the Broadway Historic District neighborhoods. Residents can report sightings on the city’s website.
Bangor’s browntail moth population seemed to grow over the last few years, but leveled out last year, according to Aaron Huotari, the city’s public works director.
“I think Bangor isn’t in as bad shape this year, but there are places you go where the trees are just covered in them,” Huotari said. “We’re seeing huge hot spots on the west side of Bangor, especially around the airport.”
Caterpillars are active from April to late June, but their hairs remain toxic throughout the summer before getting washed into the soil over time, mitigating the risk of rash and other health problems.
Residents are encouraged to cut browntail moth webs that are formed in the winter out of trees and dispose of them while the caterpillars are dormant. Each nest removed in the winter eliminates up to 400 browntail moth caterpillars that could become active and shed their hairs in the spring, according to the city.
Last year the city tried injecting insecticide into 20 trees across six parks, Huotari said. The insecticide traveled up the tree and into the leaves, which the caterpillars then eat, making it a more “targeted” approach to reducing the population.
This year, the city is going to repeat the effort using a slightly stronger dose of insecticide to test its effectiveness.
“We’re focused on parks since that’s where people gather and recreate,” Huotari said. “You’ll never eradicate them, so the best thing we can do is improve areas that are important, like parks and trees around picnic tables and playgrounds.”
Because public works employees will lead a demonstration during the Tuesday event, attendees should wear long clothing and bring pole pruners, work gloves and safety glasses if possible. If residents don’t have any pruners, gloves or goggles, some will be available.
