08/15/2026
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Adult browntail moths have arrived 👀🕸
Although there are limited options for browntail moth management at this time of year, there is an important mitigation strategy involving light. Follow the steps below to help reduce browntail moths on your property.
💡 Turning off any unnecessary outdoor lighting from late June through early August can help avoid attracting browntail moth to your yard.
💡 Switch from white-blue-colored outdoor lightbulbs to yellow-colored outdoor lightbulbs if you cannot turn off your outdoor lighting. Research from Dr. Mech's lab suggests yellow-colored bulbs are less attractive to adult browntail moths.
💡 Don't use light traps or bug zappers to kill adult browntail moths. Light traps and bug zappers may only serve to attract more moths to the yard, while killing Maine's beneficial insects. Although a trap may kill some adult browntail moths, it serves as an inviting beacon for both males and females, which may help them find each other and reproduce in your trees.
For the full weekly browntail moth update from Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/invasive_threats/browntail_moth_info.htm
