first wooly worm

[ams3651]

Ive seen them both ways, all black and with a orange band. Nobody knows what it will be like, especially the weather guys.

Wait.....let me go out and stock up on ice melt and a new shovel....guaranteed not to snow.

 

[ArizonaNessa]

My mother used to tell us that if we saw a big woolly worm like that to stay away from it cause they could sting us. She called them asps. I guess she just didn't want to explain the difference so just told us to stay away from all the fuzzy ones. Obviously that kind don't sting cause that one pic has them crawling all over their arms. Cool

 

[Acre of Blessings]

Quote:
I thought PA always had hard winters

 

[Bec]

No, they don't sting or bite.

I was reading up on them and the more orange means they are near the end of their caterpillar stage and ready to go into cocoons!

I still like to believe the more black, the more harsh the winter! More orange, more mild!

That picture is of my son today at his school. They are right next to a big bean field and they were all over the parking lot! He was running around collecting them to save them from being run over!

 

[key west chick]

I've always loved them. I do realize most people say they have nothing to do about predicting winter but I like to believe it anyway! My little guy was solid black, never seen one like it before. I could really use a nice snow this year!!!

 

[turtleblossom]

We call these "woolie bears" in Ky.

What are some other reagonal (sp) names for these cute critters?

 

[AHappychick]

they turn into a moth I believe but cant remember the name of them now. I dont think they sting as my ds has one in his classroom and I have picked a few up, I wonder if there is a kind that dies sting as a few people seem to think so....

 

[Scoop]

I've never seen millions of them at once like some of you are seeing! Having the ladybugs and stinkbugs invade us was enough for me! Some are now saying a really harsh winter for PA because the acorns are huge this year. Well, um, we did have a deluge of rain all summer so it would go to figure.

 

[Q9]

You're just now seeing wooly worms? My family and I went on a day trip to the mountains a few weeks ago, and we saw plenty. I was told that they sting.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

These are Wooly Bear Caterpillars. They are actually the larva of the Isabella Tiger Moth and they hibernate all winter, usually under leaves or moss.
There has been discussion that different parts of the US believe differently and some people are so into it that they claim you can tell just how many weeks of harsh winter we will have if you count the Orange bands as the caterpillars have 13 bands and there are 13 weeks of winter

Wilbur, the winner of the 2009 Wooly Worm Race at the Wooly Worm Festival in NC (he climbed a 3 ft. nylon string the fastest out of 1,600 other caterpillars, winning his "owner" $1,000 and the right to predict this years winter) has this to say:

- Week 1 - Flurries
- Week 2 - Cold With Flurries
- Week 3 - Snow
- Week 4 - Flurries
- Week 5 - Cold
- Week 6 - Cold
- Week 7 - Cold
- Week 8 - Light Flurries
- Week 9 - Below Average Cold
- Week 10 - Below Average Cold
- Week 11 - Snow
- Week 12 - Flurries
- Week 13 - Flurries


Yeah, I'm a fountain of useless knowlege...