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Pests and pest control in Maine

Pests to know in Maine

Why each one matters here is cited in the sections below.

Pests documented in Maine

From public GBIF occurrence records since 1990. A record means a species was documented in Maine, not that it's common near you.

Many public records (424)

Fewer public records (184)

Range named by extension sources (2)

Invasive species reported here

Browntail moth is found in patches along Maine's coast and up to 60 miles inland, with the heaviest concentrations in mid-coast Maine and the capital region.[2]

Pests local experts flag

  • Exposure to browntail moth caterpillar hairs can cause a skin rash similar to poison ivy or trouble breathing.[2]
  • Lyme disease, spread by deer ticks, is the most common tickborne disease in Maine, and cases rise as the deer tick spreads across the state.[3]
  • The black carpenter ant is by far the more common carpenter ant species in Maine, and its excavating can damage wooden structures.[4]

Public agencies that handle pests

Maine CDC runs routine mosquito trapping and testing for Eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus, with a trapping season from July to September.[6]

Hiring a licensed company

Maine's pesticide regulatory agency is the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry (Board of Pesticides Control).[1]

Licensing agency: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, & Forestry — Board of Pesticides Control[1].

See also how to check a pest control license.

Free local help

  • The UMaine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab accepts ticks for identification or disease testing.[7]
  • UMaine's Insect and Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab offers insect identification and plant disease identification.[8]

Local guides in Maine

Through the year

Winter to Summer
Cluster flies look for overwintering sites such as attics and wall voids in late summer.[5]

Sources

  1. National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. Maine Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, “Browntail Moth.” www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/invasive_threats/browntail_moth_info.htm (accessed 2026-10-06)
  3. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Lyme Disease.” www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/diseases-conditions/insect-borne-diseases/ticks/lyme (accessed 2026-10-06)
  4. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Carpenter Ants (Bulletin 5007).” extension.umaine.edu/ipm/ipddl/publications/5007e/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  5. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Cluster Flies (Bulletin 5010).” extension.umaine.edu/ipm/ipddl/publications/5010e/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  6. Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Arboviral Surveillance Reports.” www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/data-reports/diseases/animal-and-insect-borne-diseases/arborviral-surveillence-reports (accessed 2026-10-06)
  7. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Tick Lab.” extension.umaine.edu/ticks/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  8. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Insect and Plant Disease Diagnostic Labs.” extension.umaine.edu/ipm/ipddl/ (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-06. Every statement on this page comes from the cited state, federal or university source. Spot an error? Tell us.