DEAR SUN SPOTS: Although it might be too late to help this year, for those looking to curb the spread of browntail moths and the caterpillars that decimate our trees, I have a suggestion for next year: Leave a light on for them.

Browntail moths, like most moths, love to congregate near a light at night. They are very easy to spot. They are about an inch long, white, with a shaggy dog mass of hairs at the head and, unlike most moths, keep their wings retracted (close to their body) at rest, probably to hide those brown tails.

In the hours after dawn, they sleep and do not protest at all as you smoosh them, one by one. I use a rake handle to get the ones higher up on the siding. In the four nights I have done this, I have eliminated hundreds of the buggers.

My house is surrounded by woods, so it is unlikely I am making much of a dent in the population, but with each female brood producing 250 to 400 writhing, voracious caterpillars, homeowners with a single beloved specimen oak, birch or fruit tree might do well to leave their lights on from the last week in June through the first two weeks in July and smoosh away. Just be sure to have your garden hose handy.—Bob, no town

ANSWER: You certainly sound like you are on a mission, and night smooshing (with peak activity from 10 p.m. to midnight) of browntail moths does sound satisfying. In the spring, when the caterpillars begin their insistent reappearance, I often get letters from readers who have advice to share or seek to vent about the damaged trees, their inability to enjoy beloved parks and trails and, worst of all, tell tales about their rashes. It makes me itch just to write about this topic.

According to a document put out by the Maine Forest Service regarding frequently asked questions about the moths (www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/documents/browntail_moth_faqs_06032022.pdf), moths found on buildings and in light traps are primarily males and killing them is unlikely to reduce the next generation. Furthermore, females attracted to an area by lights tend to hang out in host tree foliage.

For those who wonder if they can get a rash from contact with moths, you might. Although the hairs on the moths are not toxic, there is still the possibility you are taking a chance because moths may pick up the toxic hairs from the caterpillar stage as they emerge from their cocoons.

If you still want to remove moths from the sides of your house and other outbuildings, the Maine Forest Service advises you use a wet/dry vacuum with a HEPA filter filled with a few inches of soapy water to suck those moths off your house and other place, and to keep outdoor lights off at night during the last week of June to the first week in August, so it is not too late to attempt to turn the tables on the moths.

For more great information about this plague that has affected all of us, read the document cited above in its entirety. For further questions and help, contact the Maine Forest Service at 207-287-2431.

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