5 Ways in Maine You could Get Browntail Rash, and Never Touch One

I'm not bragging, but somehow I get the rash several times a year.

I don't think it helps that I live in the woods. And, in the colder months of spring, I can usually see all the nests up in the trees. Most of them are so high up there's no way I could ever get to them. Not unless I become an overnight expert at climbing trees. But usually, chubby dudes like me don't risk climbing too high in a tree, for obvious reasons.

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

But sure enough, as soon as they start to come out, I'll be covered after my first foray into my initial yard work for the season. I've tried all the tricks to keep it away, but basically nothing works. Changing clothes, showers after I'm done working, etc. All epic fails. And worse, there are tons of other ways the little buggers are going to get you other than direct contact. Thus, increasing your chances of getting the rash.

Yes, you can get the rash practically out of thin air.

There are several ways in which Mother Nature will reign her fury upon you through the wonders of a tiny little caterpillar with two orange spots on its back. The rash feels a lot like poison ivy, but comes on a bit quicker. If you get the hairs, you'll know it pretty fast. So what are some of the more deceptive ways you can get it? Let's check it out...

Your pets...

This is a sad one. But if you have pets that spend a lot of time outdoors, especially off-leash dogs and cats, they're  likely going to come in contact with trees or plants that could have the caterpillars on them. Then the hairs get on your dog, who's immune to them by the way, and Fido then passes them on to you. Yay! And you'll never see it coming.

Trees in your yard...

For kind of the same reasons as your pets, the trees in your yard can contribute to the issue. Not just because they're generally the home of BTM caterpillars, but because the hairs fall of the caterpillars and can settle on the leaves. If you decide to start cutting branches or doing some pruning, or even just pushing branches out of the way while you mow, BOOM! You're officially covered.

Laundry drying on the clothesline...

Who doesn't love the smell of line-dried laundry?! It's literally one of the few gifts a person can give to themselves. But guess what? We'll get to this on it's own in a minute, but the breeze can be a terrible thing, when it comes to your laundry. Because guess what can blow right onto your clothes? You got it! BTM caterpillar hairs. And if it's sheets or something, you could end up hurting pretty badly when it all catches up to you.

The breeze...

During BTM season, the breeze is kind of your enemy. Once the hairs become airborne, it's hard to tell where they're coming from. They could literally be coming from all directions at once. And it seems the problem gets a little worse every year. There could come a time when we're having air quality warnings because of BTM caterpillars.

The seats of your car...

This could apply to you or your kids car seats, but if you have a tendency to leave your car out of the garage with the windows open because it's summer, you run the risk of having the hairs blow right in through your window. Like I said, the breeze is a brutal player in this challenge against the rash, hahaha.

Read More: February is the Perfect Time to Get Rid of Browntail Moth Nests

Then, like most things with Mother Nature, there's no guarantee with any of this stuff. You could take all these precautions and still get it. Or you could do nothing and avoid it all summer somehow. But that's not a game you'll win long-term. The rash is gonna get you. And now you'll never know from where...

Oh, and there's all these things too...