Brown-Tail Moth Pests: What to Do About About Cocoons

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry has issued a pest alert regarding Brown-Tail Moth infestation in Maine this summer, and steps you can take to alleviate the problem. 

This bulletin was issued by Maine State Forest Entomologist Charlene Donahue.

If you have a Brown-Tail Caterpillar infestation with cocoons:

What to do: Use caution - cocoons are full of hairs THAT CAN CAUSE A RASH. Remember these hairs will persist until next year or longer.

If you want to remove the cocoons (different from the overwintering webs):

• Wear protective clothing
• Wet down cocoons before removing them

Pressure wash or scrape cocoons off structures or clip out of favorite plants:

• Put a drop cloth under area to collect them
• Let soak overnight in soapy water and compost or dispose in trash

Browntail caterpillars wander and form their cocoons anywhere in the area. Favorite places are:

• Under the eaves on a building, on the underside of anything
• In the leaves of any plant

Larvae forming cocoons under eaves

Close up of two cocoons inside webbing – they look similar to spider egg sacs

Browntail cocoon inside leaves

A leaf removed to show the inside of a browntail cocoon – one or many pupae can be inside

Browntail moth reached outbreak levels this spring round the Bath/Brunswick area of the state and has since been expanding outward.  Hemlock woolly adelgid has been expanding in the midcoast as well in southern Maine.

A list of Licensed Pesticide Applicators Willing to treat Browntail Moth, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and/or Other Pests can be found here.

This information was submitted to us as part of a press release. If you would like to share your community news or event with our audience, please email newspi@townsquaremedia.com.