Are Nervous Mainers Accidentally Killing the Wrong Caterpillars?

I'm glad we're essentially done with BTM caterpillars for the year.

Even in this time of year, there's the slimmest chance you could still be exposed to some BTM hairs and get the rash, but it's pretty unlikely. At this point, it could be a hag moth caterpillar, or a tussock caterpillar making you itch. Or, you could run into an unhatched BTM cocoon and possibly get them that way.

Read More: Maine One of the Only Places Cursed by Browntail Caterpillar Rash

But there are plenty of active caterpillars right now that are a nuisance, but won't really do you any harm. But one particular species is taking quite a beating from nervous Mainers who aren't quite sure what they're looking at, and they're going after them pretty aggressively.

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Tent caterpillars aren't really your friend, either.

It's true. Tent caterpillars love to get into the trees in your yard and do their thing, and they do look quite similar to BTM caterpillars. The thing is, if you get enough of them on one tree, it can indeed kill that tree. The thing is, other than that, they're of no harm to humans at all. But constantly, people these days are misidentifying them as Browntail Moth caterpillars, according to the BDN.

While BTM caterpillars do make a nest, they look absolutely nothing like a tent caterpillar's nest. And as damaging as they can be to a tree, it's easy to get rid of them. Getting rid of BTM's is a bit harder to do. And BTM caterpillars have no known predators, so their numbers are harder to mitigate.

Tent caterpillars have nothing but predators.

Tons of birds eat them, as well as other insects. They're actually a fairly important food source. But if you must get rid of them, all you have to do is wait until nighttime,  and put a pointy stick, or a stick with a nail into the nest and wind it around the stick. Then either burn it, or put it in a bucket of soapy water. That simple.

Read More: Maine has a Bug So Brutal, You'll Wish You Never Heard About it 

Again, tent caterpillars aren't really our friends. They're just not really doing us a lot of harm directly. Especially in rash form. Absolutely nothing to worry about from tent caterpillars. So do your thing... but maybe just double check what you're disposing of.  Might as well save yourself some work.

These will make you feel better about tent caterpillars...