Updated at 3:16 PM increase font size Browntail moths ‘like the virus’ in Waterville, council seek ways to combat infestation “We have a real problem right now in Waterville and we need to get on top of it,” City Councilor Thomas Klepach said. Share A browntail moth caterpillar is shown Wednesday between Jameson Dow, left, and classmate Charlie Ferris, both 10, in a tree at Ferris’s home in Waterville. Dow discovered that the caterpillars had invaded a tree in the front yard of the Ferris home. They were able to spot four of the caterpillars on low-hanging limbs. The caterpillar, which has two distinctive reddish dots, has poisonous hairs that can cause a rash if exposed to skin.