CountyCumberland County
RegionSouthern Maine
EAB quarantineEntire county
Hemlock woolly adelgidEstablished
Tree Medics protects trees for homeowners, businesses and municipalities in Cumberland and across Cumberland County. We diagnose tree problems and treat the insects and diseases threatening Southern Maine’s trees, from emerald ash borer to browntail moth.
What’s threatening trees in Cumberland
Emerald ash borerAll of Cumberland County is inside Maine’s emerald ash borer quarantine.[1] In 2026, ash dieback and mortality were reported throughout southern Maine.[2]
Hemlock woolly adelgidAs of December 2024, the Maine Forest Service lists it as established in Cumberland.[3]
Browntail mothFound in all 16 Maine counties, and its toxic hairs stay in the environment for up to three years.[4] In 2026, Maine CDC reported higher browntail moth populations in parts of Cumberland County, along with parts of Androscoggin, Hancock and Oxford counties, even as populations statewide have been steadily decreasing over the past couple of years.[5] The Maine Forest Service’s 2026 aerial survey found localized defoliation mainly along the western shores of Sebago Lake.[2]
Beech leaf diseaseNow found in all 16 Maine counties.[6]
About Cumberland’s trees
Hemlock woolly adelgidA 2021 forest management plan for Knight’s Pond Preserve found that hemlock makes up about 21% of the stand’s basal area and noted the nearest known hemlock woolly adelgid population on Harris Road in Cumberland.[7]
Browntail mothIn 2016 the Town of Cumberland considered spraying pesticide in Cumberland Foreside, the part of town hardest hit by browntail moth; the town council chair noted earlier spraying plans were dropped when too many homeowners opted out.[8]
Browntail mothThe Maine Forest Service’s 2020 browntail moth detection survey mapped 1,376 acres of intense caterpillar activity in Cumberland, and the town remained on the state’s April 2023 list of towns with significant browntail populations.[9]
Browntail mothCumberland officials joined Falmouth, Yarmouth, Freeport, Brunswick and Cumberland County in August 2018 to pursue a regional approach to browntail moth, leading to public information sessions that October.[10]
Community treesCumberland’s town forests total 975 acres, including Rines (272 acres), Knight’s Pond (203 acres), Twin Brook (129 acres) and the Town Forest (109 acres), with management plans overseen by a Forestry Subcommittee and a licensed Maine forester.[11]
Local landscapeKnight’s Pond Preserve, shared by Cumberland and North Yarmouth, includes a 46-acre pond and a roughly 14-acre preservation area set aside for its shagbark hickory and oak stand.[12]
Local landscapeCumberland had a population of 8,473 in the 2020 Census and covers about 22.86 square miles of land.[13]
Tree care services in Cumberland
Emerald Ash Borer
Trunk injections that protect ash trees from emerald ash borer.
Emerald Ash Borer in Cumberland
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
Systemic treatment to keep hemlocks healthy.
Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Cumberland
Browntail Moth
Web clipping, injection and treatment for browntail moth.
Browntail Moth in Cumberland
Tree Health Assessments
Find out what’s wrong with a tree and what to do about it.
About tree health assessmentsBrowntail moth season starts in your trees right now.
From October to March, young browntail moth caterpillars overwinter in silk webs at the tips of branches. The Maine Forest Service recommends clipping and destroying webs within reach between mid-December and early April.[14] Browntail moth help in Cumberland.
A year of tree care in Cumberland
- WinterClip browntail moth webs, assess trees while branches are bare, and plan spring treatments.
- SpringTrunk injections for ash trees after leaf-out, and browntail moth treatment before caterpillars feed.
- SummerWatch for thinning crowns on ash and early leaf drop. Check beech leaves for dark bands between the veins.
- FallLook for white woolly masses on hemlock twigs, and spot new browntail webs once leaves drop.
Nearby towns we serve
Sources
- Maine Forest Service: EAB found in seven more Maine towns, with York and Cumberland counties under quarantine (2020)
- Maine Forest Service: Forest & shade tree conditions, August 2026
- Maine Forest Service: Hemlock woolly adelgid overview and distribution
- Maine CDC & Maine Forest Service: Browntail moth hairs pose risk during spring outdoor activities
- Maine CDC Health Advisory: Browntail moth (May 2026)
- Maine Forest Service: Forest & shade tree conditions, September 2026
- Town of Cumberland: Knight’s Pond Preserve Forest Management Plan (2021)
- Maine Public: Browntail Moth Infestation Expanding in Maine (2016)
- Maine Forest Service: 2020 Browntail Moth Aerial and Ground Detection Survey (2020)
- Town of Cumberland: Regional Public Information Sessions – Brown Tail Moth Caterpillars (2018)
- Town of Cumberland: Subcommittee – Forestry (2024)
- Town of Cumberland: Subcommittee – Forestry (2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau: QuickFacts, Cumberland town, Maine (2020)
- Maine Forest Service: Browntail moth management overview