Pesky Rash-Causing Moths Apparently Itching To Fly Our Way

Temperatures are warming up in some areas of the country, or at least will be soon. And you know what that means.

You guessed it -- insects, and the gross stuff they often deliver.

The latest example of this is a moth that can cause be one big pain in the rash. And if not pain, a rash that itches.

"A forest pest that bedevils Maine residents and tourists with hairs that cause an itchy rash appears to be spreading due to warming temperatures, a group of scientists has found," the Associated Press reported.

Granted, Maine just happens to be the country's most-forested state, so it theoretically produce more moths per capita than any other place. Especially when it comes to browntail moths, which are the kind believed to be spreading the virus.

"Warmer fall temperatures are especially beneficial to the pesky bugs because that allows them to get fatter before they hibernate for the winter, said Eleanor Groden, professor emerita of entomology at University of Maine and the principal investigator on the study," the AP reported.

Here's the kicker: Browntail moths originate from Asia, the same continent that gave the world the COVID-19 pandemic. On the bright side, the result of browntail moth-deliver rash results in little more than some itchy skin.