If you woke up this morning and wondered what exactly happened to cause all these white and furry moths to appear everywhere, you're not alone. People all around Central Maine are waking up to the same thing this morning.

These fuzzy looking moths aren't just any ordinary moth either. Nope, these are the widely despised brown-tail moth. Yup, this is what happens when the brown-tail caterpillars we all have come to hate so much emerge from their cocoons. You most likely woke up to these things on the side of your house, your windows, your doors and, in some cases, all over your car.

The first thing everyone is probably wondering (now that we know these are in fact brown-tail moths) is if people can still contract the brown-tail rash from these things once they're in moth form. The short answer is....kind of. But not so much from the moth itself, but what it leaves behind after laying its eggs.

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Thanks to a little help from Maine.Gov, we've learned that this year is going to be pretty nasty for the brown-tail moths. The moths are typically with us in July and August and can be seen pretty much everywhere. As these things emerge from their cocoon slumber, they immediately begin looking for a spot to lay their eggs, typically under leaves and other natural cover.

After the eggs are laid, the moth will then shed more hair to help cover up the egg mass. That hair of course is toxic and can blow away in the wind landing on you, your patio furniture and even your animals.

So while the brown-tail moths themselves don't really pose a risk, the eggs that they lay under leaves and branches in fact do. However, we still don't think it's a great idea to snuggle with or pet the moths. But, do as you will.

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