Woolly Bear Caterpillar Sightings?
 

Have the Wisconsin people sighted any woolly bear caterpillars yet? I remember you could always tell how bad the winters were going to be. They were never wrong. So funny to see a herd of the furry little beasties crossing the road. My kids used to gather them up and help them get to the other side.

Our local tv station weatherman had a segment on this last week. The wooly worm was brown near the head, the rest of its body was black ... indicating a hard winter in the northern Missouri area. Last year the wooly worm was a brown all over and we had a very mild winter with snow only twice. The Farmer's Almanac is also indicating a cold winter. Don't think I'm quite ready for this forecast.

No sightings here in NC either. Each October we have the Wooly Worm Festival up in Banner Elk. If the size of the acorns is a sign of things to come, we're gonna be in trouble!!

I always thought the Woolly Bear prediction was a Wisconsin thing, like cheesecurds, Schlitz, and brats at McDonalds. Shame on me! ~:o

We don't see many of them. Here they open wild persimmons to predict snow and how much. We have two of them and I hate them, Husband doesn't want to cut down the trees. They make a mushy, nasty mess and slippery if you step on one.

Actually I have not seen any yet this year some years (I also see them crossing the road I will keep watching!

I`m in mid Wisconsin, we are watching for them, but so far I haven`t seen any. Will keep looking!

We get the little blighters here! It is spring just now and for the past few weeks I have been picking what seems like hundreds off my silverbeets...AARGH.

We have a gum tree called a Marri....the Aboriginal people say if you get heavy blossoms, winter will be very wet. Must say...it's pretty accurate.

Just came inside about 10 minutes ago. There was one (wooly bear) on the peony leaf. What I've heard predicted for this winter is little snow but brutally cold. Considering weather people with all their sophisticated equipment can't reliably predict what's going to happen tomorrow, I don't take a lot of stock in what's said. We'll get what we get.

Do you remember what color the wooly bear was? ~:eek:

I saw one the other day here in Mid-Michigan and it was black on both ends & brown in the middle. he was crawling along the deck. they are too cute & make me smile.

Tricia

I saw one (here in Massachusetts) a few weeks ago that was black from head to toe. If the amount of black indicates how "bad" or cold the winter is going to be, this does not bode well....However, I saw a few more a couple days ago and they had brown heads and tails...SO....not sure. As someone said "We'll get what we get"

I saw a 'woolly caterpillar' last week in Vancouver, WA. It was all white - what does that mean????

It was trying on its Halloween costume? ~:D

Are you sure it was a "wooly catepillar"?

We have the little woolies here in Colorado too, but as of yet have not seen any. Will keep looking.

:D:D:DThank you for my laugh for the day

The only one I've seen was totally black!

Haven't seen one yet. Some people are sensitive to the little spikey hair, so if you are not sure, pick them up with a leaf.

I've seen one here in KY. Black on each end and brown in the middle.

Never seen a woolly bear (grew up in northwest PA), but lots of brats and not just at McDonald's!

I saw two this past month. First one was a little black at the head and the rest was brown and the one yesterday was more than 1/3 black in the front, less than a 1/3 brown in the middle and short black on the tail. Winter!

Found one yesterday. Head was black rest was brown. NYS

I'll be back in Wisconsin next week. I'll keep an eye out.

they make great cookies. had a neighbor in Ca that always let me come over and pick a bunch. I would mash them and freeze it til I was ready to make the cookies.

OhPlease NO!!yuck!

You're referring to Jingle's post about persimmons, and freezing persimmon pulp, right?

Otherwise, I think there would be fuzzy little brown and black bristles in the cookies (or white bristles if you live near Kay in Vancouver). But, then again I don't know what Earthwalker in Australia does with her "little blighters." ~:shock:~

I sure hope she was not referring to the little Wolly Bear Catapillers i will not eat a cookie again without looking for little bristles!

I saw my first of the year 2 days ago.. one was all black and the other had black on each end.. so not sure what the weather is going to be here, had such a mild winter last year..

We used to see them in the fall in Michigan. One year when my youngest DS was little, he came to me with one on his arm and wanted me to take care of it. I told him it was ok because it was a caterpillar and it wouldn't hurt him. Well, I was so wrong because as soon as I told him that, it bit him. Needless to say that shook my DS faith in my judgment. I had never heard of such a thing happening. Now that my DH and I live in Florida, we never see the wooly creatures.

I just Googled "Can caterpillars bite" and found out that it is actually a sting from from a a spine. I sure wish I had known that at the time. The faith your little ones have in you is precious. He is 45 years old now so I think all is forgiven. lol :):):)

Also reporting in from WV. I saw my first wooly worm today. It was mostly black with a small brown ring in the middle. We really need a cold winter this year to kill off some of the bugs. And I love snow!

Those things skeeve me out. Im petrified of caterpillars, weather you call them wolly bears or gypsy moths, they freak me out.