Maine asks residents to look out for invasive moth

SMYRNA, Maine (AP) - Maine forestry managers say it’s time for residents to keep an eye out for an invasive species of moth in the state.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry often asks residents to look for the browntail moth and its webs. The moth can cause an itchy rash and respiratory distress in people.

The forestry department said a browntail moth winter web was recently reported in Smyrna in northern Maine. The department said residents can help the state mitigate the damage caused by the moth by keeping a lookout for it in northern Maine and elsewhere.

Knowing the moth’s location “gives us the power to decide whether and how to manage its presence,” the department said in a statement.