Maine Residents Fend Off Poisonous Caterpillars

  • 📰 YahooSG
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 38 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 19%
  • Publisher: 71%

Singapore Headlines News

Singapore Latest News,Singapore Headlines

The caterpillars of browntail moths have poisonous hairs that can cause people to develop painful rashes and even breathing problems.

While parts of the country deal with swarms of cicadas this summer, Maine is struggling with an infestation of an invasive species of caterpillar with poisonous hairs that can cause people to develop painful rashes and even breathing problems.

“People are finding them everyplace: on the ground, on the picnic table, on the electrical box, on the corner — you name it,” Britt said. “They are heavily present. Folks will see them all over.”The caterpillars have tiny poisonous hairs that can remain toxic for as long as three years, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services warned.

In Waterville, Maine, a city about 20 miles north of Augusta, the caterpillar infestation has gotten so out of control that the mayor called an emergency meeting of the City Council to declare a public health emergency and order insecticide. While it is unclear what exactly caused this recent infestation, Britt said dry conditions are “absolutely ideal” for browntail moths to expand their reach.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 3. in SG

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Mandatory Covid-19 testing for residents of 8 housing blocks in Bukit Merah View after 21 infected cases found in 1 blockSINGAPORE — Residents of eight public housing blocks in Bukit Merah View will have to undergo mandatory Covid-19 testing after the authorities found 21 infected cases among residents of one block there.
Source: TODAYonline - 🏆 1. / 99 Read more »

Olympics-Organisers show off Olympic village a month before Games beginTOKYO: Organisers of the Tokyo Olympics opened the athletes' village to the media on Sunday, showing off apartments and a timber-laced ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Golf-Oosthuizen hopes to shake off second-place major run at US OpenSAN DIEGO, Calif.: South African Louis Oosthuizen has a shot at turning major frustration into U.S. Open glory, entering the final round at ... high,high probability
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Verstappen delivers the unexpected with French GP poleFormula One championship leader Max Verstappen pulled off the unexpected on Saturday when he snatched a comfortable French Grand Prix pole for Red ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Athletics-Electrifying kickoff to US Olympic trials, world record shatteredThe U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials got off to an electrifying start on Friday, as 2016 gold medalist Ryan Crouser shattered the shot put ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Sri Lanka ship fire caused 'significant damage to planet', says UN officeCOLOMBO: The United Nations representative in Sri Lanka said the sinking of a container ship that caught fire while transporting chemicals off the ...
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »