Contact: Charlene Donahue, Forest Entomologist (207) 287-2431
PEST ALERT
I had a BROWNTAIL caterpillar
infestation and now I have cocoons!
What to do: Use caution - cocoons are full of the hairs THAT CAN CAUSE A
RASH. Remember that these hairs will persist until next year or longer.
If
you want to remove the cocoons (different from the overwintering webs):
- Wear
protective clothing
- Wet
down cocoons before removing them
Pressure
wash or scrape cocoons off structures or clip out of favorite plants:
- Put
a drop cloth under area to collect them
- Let soak overnight in soapy water and compost
or dispose in trash
Browntail
caterpillars wander and form their cocoons anywhere in the area. Favorite
places are:
- Under
the eaves on a building, on the underside of anything
- In the leaves of any plant
![Larvae forming cocoons under eaves](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MEDACF/2016/06/914283/942828/larvae-forming-cocoons-under-eaves_crop.jpg) Larvae forming cocoons under eaves
![Close up of two cocoons inside webbing – they look similar to spider egg sacs](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MEDACF/2016/06/914325/942829/close-up-of-two-cocoons-inside-webbing-they-look-si_crop.jpg) Close up of two cocoons inside webbing – they look similar to spider egg sacs
![Browntail cocoon inside leaves](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MEDACF/2016/06/914312/942830/browntail-cocoon-inside-leaves_crop.jpg) Browntail cocoon inside leaves
![A leaf removed to show the inside of a browntail cocoon – one or many pupae can be inside](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MEDACF/2016/06/914315/942831/a-leaf-removed-to-show-the-inside-of-a-browntail-co_crop.jpg) A leaf removed to show the inside of a browntail cocoon – one or many pupae can be inside
|