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Archives of
Puss Caterpillar Encounters by Jerry Cates The following are archived reports received during 2002 and 2003: December 28, 2003
hi my name is Dylan S. one day I just
saw it out the window.
About 2 weeks ago. I kept them
in a jar and fed them, today i cleaned out the jar and I touched one.
now I'm crawling in pain. whatever you do,
Do not touch them even softly.
Written by an 8 year-old.
Ed. Note: Very sage advice! December 27, 2003
My
four year-old son was stung by a puss caterpillar today. It happened on
a swing we had attached to a large oak tree (I had read that oak is
a habitat they like). Also, we have treated our yard several times in
the past five months for fire ants (I had read that fire ants can be a
natural predator and the absence of them can allow the puss caterpillar
to thrive) as there was an unusual amount of rain in our area (Sarasota,
in Sarasota County, Florida, about 55 miles south of Tampa on the Gulf
Coast) from June through August, which resulted in an infestation of
fire ants in pretty much every lawn/yard in the region.
About
twenty minutes before the bite, we saw the caterpillar on the wooden
swing. My husband, a horticulturist, noticed it (he had been stung by
saddlebacks in Miami) and told us to stay away from it. Before letting
my son swing later on, we thoroughly inspected the swing (top, bottom,
and sides) and the ropes from the swing to the tree and did not see it
anywhere, so we thought it was safe to let him swing. The bite occurred
after my son had dragged his heels (in sneakers, thank God) along
the ground (after "pumping" on the swing). All I can think is
that the caterpillar was in the grass and that he dislodged it when his
heels dragged through the ground. It was found on the bottom of the
swing immediately after the bite.
I
put a baking soda paste on the area and applied a cold pack. He fell
asleep about 30 minutes later, but was still in pain. We are checking
him every 20 minutes for a possible severe allergic reaction.
I
don't know of this helps but I saw the link requesting reports &
thought I would include our experience.
C.M., Sarasota, Florida December 23, 2003 Hello Jerry, season's greetings combined with the best wishes for the new year. Have only just -4 weeks after the encounter- got rid of the problems connected with the puss caterpillar (in Florida). Thanks to your advice re the tape. Are presently experiencing - 5 to -8° C, but no snow in sight. So we are dreaming of a white X-mas. Regards M., Bremen, Germany December 17, 2003 Hi, I'm a Survival Instructor here in San Antonio, at Lackland AFB. We found a Puss Caterpiller here, and just wanted to pass along that we have one. My students came across it in front of their dorms, on the sidewalk. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Thank you. SSgt Joe M. USAF Lackland AFB, TX December 09, 2003
I came upon your website trying to identify
a caterpillar I saw on December 2, 2003 at the Fakahatchee Strand State
Preserve, Florida.
Based on your photos, I believe my
photo is of the Puss caterpillar.
B. A. Dewitt Editor's Note: The photo referred to has been posted to the puss caterpillar page. December 04, 2003 Mr. Cates, What a wonderful web site. My husband called me to describe this little guy and asked if I would get online and find out more. Seems they are having an outbreak on their picnic tables at work. Growing up in South Texas I am familiar with these little guys, we called them Asps when I was a kid. They liked to hang out at our apartment swimming pool. I've stepped on them, sat on TWO (!), the pain is unmistakable. I was wondering if you could tell me why we have such an insurgent population every few years? Are there no predators to keep them in check? Thank you for taking the time to keep such an informative web site going and current. If you'd like I can see if he can get some good pictures - seems like you've got some good ones already. We are in South San Antonio - Lackland Air Force Base Texas Editor's Note: Yes, please send photos! As for why we have such a good (i.e., bad) crop of these pests this year, several possibilities come to mind. However, we can only speculate at this point, and it will be interesting to see how 2004 develops. November 30, 2003 Mr. Cates, Your site is excellent. I would like to suggest that you post your answers to the questions folks ask you, because if one person has the question, you can be sure lots of other people do too. Have you ever heard of an animal being stung by a puss caterpillar? Thanks so much for the great info. I am posting a link to your site on Gardenweb.com, in the Texas gardening section. Best wishes, J.H., Texas Editor's Note: Thanks for your comments. I do post answers to questions not covered elsewhere on this website, but I try not to post redundant material. This page already exceeds 40 pages of print, and takes nearly 1.5 minutes to load over a dial-up network, and I try not to add to that unnecessarily. November 30, 2003
Hi, I was outside with my family the
other day and we found a pair of these fuzzy little things on my
children's play wood fort. My son ran in to get a net and his
insect carrier. my daughter Only 4 years old picked it up and put
it into the net and then they tried to get them into the insect carrier.
The things wouldn't un-stick from the net so I got a stick and rubbed
them until they fell into the carrier. We put some leaves and
sticks into the carrier thinking these were the most interesting things
I have seen in a while. I sat the carrier in my sons room and
there it sat all weekend. Then tonight he was thinking that he
wanted to take them for show and tell which is Tomorrow at his
school. I told him that I would have to look them up on the
internet first before we took them so we would know something more
about them. Thank Goodness I did! I searched for about 30
minutes before I found your site ! and even realized what the name of
them were. We have two of these nasty things in this carrier and I
am afraid to touch it. I set it out on the porch and I am not sure
what to do with them now. I can't believe my daughter didn't get
stung. I think there must have been an angel watching over them
that day. We live in Maitland Florida and that is about 10-15
minutes from Orlando.
Thank you so much for doing such a
great job on your site and informing us of what could happen if we
would have been stung by these interesting but harmful caterpillars.
Thanks,
Tk from Florida.
Editor's Note: Puss caterpillars present unusual risks. I do not advise keeping them in insect carriers inside a typical residence. They are not suitable subjects for "show and tell", either alive or dead. The venomous spines of this pest continue to pose risks to anyone handling even dead specimens. To safely dispose of this insect once it has inadvertently been placed in an insect carrier, mix one capful of dishwater detergent in a suitable amount of water and pour into the carrier; swish the water around until the caterpillar is fully immersed in the liquid. The soapy water should kill the caterpillar in a few minutes, and will enable you to empty the contents of the carrier into a toilet. After flushing the toilet, flush the carrier liberally with water to remove any spines that may have been left behind. Remember, the venomous spines are microscopic, so carry this out with due diligence. November 28, 2003
Mr. Cates,
I was sitting out on the deck in our
backyard and got up to come inside. By the time I came inside I
felt this severe burning and pain in my left buttock. I had no
idea what had stung me, I went back outside to look at where I was
sitting and discovered a hairy looking caterpillar with white
stripes one in the middle of the spine and white dots on the sides.
I have never seen one of these before. I immediately took a
benadryl and applied cortisone cream to the area and the pain went into
my groin and down my left leg. A couple of hours later before
finding this website I was becoming nauseated and thought maybe it was
from the benadryl. Right now I am sitting here wondering if I
should go to the ER because of being nauseated but will give it a little
longer. I learned that I should apply duct tape to the area which
I did but it is still hurting or stinging really bad.
I am really amazed to find that so
many people are having the same problem. This website has been
very helpful.
D., Ft.
Lauderdale, FL
November 27, 2003
Hello Mr. Cates,
Thanks so much
for your web site. I have something new to add to your list of
encounters with the puss caterpillar. My children were playing
with one today that we found on our oak tree. They put it out back
on their play set. My 5 year old son went out back to look for his
shoes and came in the house screaming like I have never heard
before. I couldn't understand what he was telling me but saw that
his upper lip was swelling really badly and he said a caterpillar stung
him. I got my husband to help me try to console him because he was
just hysterical in pain. After trying several things on his lip my
husband noticed that his bottom lip was swelling now too. He has
the entire imprint of the 1" long puss caterpillar inside his upper
and lower lips. I wish I had a digital camera to send you a shot
of the swelling. The tape treatment was much more difficult to do
since his mouth was so wet from crying so hard. It still gave him
some relief though. It is the only thing we've done so far to give
him any relief at all. Thanks so much for your help and the help
of all the others stories you have posted.
My son was
trying to see how soft the caterpillar was and that is why he put it up
to his lips. Once he could speak all he kept saying(we had the
caterpillar in a baggie incase we needed it) was squish it! squish
it! I don't believe he will ever mess with any other insect again.
I am thankful we all know to be on the lookout for them now.
P.S. The
encounter took place here in Ocoee Florida just on the outskirts of
Orlando. My older kids were telling me that the puss
caterpillars have been in the back yard for awhile now on their play
set everyday when they go outside. We had found this one in the
front yard on an oak tree and have oaks in the back yard too.
S.J., Ocoee, Florida
November 25, 2003 Yesterday morning I was out in our front yard weeding. My 11 month-old baby was wandering around with me. All of a sudden he started to scream. I quickly picked him up from the driveway and brushed off his bare feet, thinking he had stepped on a broken acorn from our live oak tree. It took a few minutes before he really felt the effects of being stung, and then I couldn't even hold him because he was squirming in pain. I put him on the floor while I got on the phone to call the Doctor's office. All I could think was that he had been stung by a wasp because there was no stinger. While he was on the floor he was just screaming and rolling around in pain. I was getting a little panicky myself, but the Dr's office said to give him some Benadryl orally and put some cortaid on his foot. I gave him Benadryl orally and on his foot and rubbed ice on his foot and kept the area clean. He fussed most of the rest of the day. Normally, he is very active, but when he wasn't sleeping he was fussing and just wanting to be held and cuddled (which I must admit I enjoyed because normally he isn't cuddly for long). I went back outside twice after I had him calmed down (2 to 3 hours later) trying to figure out what might have done this to my little baby. The spot on his foot just didn't look like a wasp bite, there were no holes or bite mark. I saw this cute little fuzz ball, however, and because I had no idea what it was I put it in a jar. My neighbors had no idea. My Mom and husband had never seen anything like it, but they all said it had nothing to do with whatever had stung him. I am glad now that I was persistent in finding out just what this cute thing was. Now I will keep very careful watch out for the nasty little fellows. I also have an almost -3 year -old who is very curious. Thankfully she was in the house, and now we have showed her the culprit and taught her to never touch one but to call for an adult if she does see one. I got on the Internet to find out what the thing was called: a Puss Caterpillar/Tree Asp/member of the Megalopygidae family. I am so glad I found your web site several hours after the incident. I wish I had known about it earlier. I used adhesive tape several times over a period of the next few hours. In fact, my mother actually saw some of the spines in the foot being pulled out by the tape. It definitely helped to get the spines removed. My son seemed to have some immediate relief with their disappearance, including having fun trying to use the tape himself. I might try letting someone in the media know so others can be on the lookout. We live in Deltona, Florida 32725 just north of Sanford (Between Orlando and Daytona Beach) K. S. November 23, 2003
My 2 year old daughter had the
unfortunate experience of meeting one of these critters while on
vacation at my sister's house in Melrose Florida.
The caterpillar got under her
nightgown and stung her multiple times on both legs and thighs. it
must have been very painful because she cried for about 45 minutes even
after we gave her a bath right away.
We had no idea what she had gotten
into until we found the puss caterpillar attached to the inside of her
nightgown.
Thanks for the web site it was very
informative.
Bart J.
Delaware Ohio
November 20, 2003
Mr. Cates-
I wish that I would have found this
site on Saturday, November 16th, 2003.
On the afternoon of the 16th, went out
to the porch to sit. Upon sitting in the chair, I felt this
horrible pinching/ stinging. The burning immediately went around
the inside of my thigh, into the groin area and all the way to the
kidney area with in 10 mins. I put and ice pack on the back of my
leg seemed like there are a huge splotch about 6 inches in diameter.
With in an hour in was laying in bed tossing and turning from the pain.
This pain was worse then the kidney stones that I have had. I
honestly did not have a clue what it was that got me. 3 hours
later I was still in pain so i took a darvocet (pain meds) and took a
hot bath. That pain pill did not even touch the pain! My leg
was on fire! I asked if anyone knew what this bug was that I
saw later on the chair and they mentioned it was an "asp"
The pain stuck with me for about 24 hours and then went away. All
that is left is an almond shaped ring with stripes of what looks like
pin holes. Is there anything that I need to do with this now
that it has been 5 days since this occurred?
If there any way to spray for these
things. I found one a few weeks ago on my cat. Just flicked
it off her. Thank goodness she did not get stung, she would not
have been able to tell me what was wrong. Going forward.. if I see
one of these little buggers. They are dead!!!!
K.M.- Friendwood, TX 77546
November 19, 2003 We see these caterpillars all the time on our playground at school. Is it in fact a puss caterpillar? Amy M., Spring Branch, Texas Ed. Note: Amy sent several excellent digital images of puss caterpillars, which have been posted on the main puss caterpillar page. November 18, 2003
Last Wednesday night, November 12,
2003, on our way in from church, I saw a furry little creature on the
stucco wall outside my front door. I called my husband back out to
see it and we were both fascinated. It looked like it was covered
with rabbit fur. My husband decided he wanted to find out what it
was, so he carefully (thankfully without touching it) put it in a bug
jar and took it to our local County Extension Office the next day.
We have been amazed to find that the bug we found could cause such
serious side effects!! My question is this, if I found one, how
likely is it that there are more in my yard? We have 6 oak trees
in our front and back yards, and several more throughout the
neighborhood. I am concerned for my three boys and myself as we
have allergy issues.
We live in Sanford, FL, with is
northeast of Orlando by approx 10-15 miles.
Your web site has been very helpful!!
Phyllis in Central Florida
November 18, 2003 I live in Houston, Texas just inside the northwest corner of the 610 Loop (close to where 290 starts / Timbergrove / 77008). I've lived in Houston all my life, and have seen one asp, at most, every 5 to 7 years--that is until just the past 3 weeks. Now I'm seeing 1 to 7 a day in both my front and back yard. I have three enormous oak trees. I found one asp on the inside of my screen door, in addition to the ones on the garage door, car, wooden fence, wooden swing, tree trunks, brick wall, picture windows, and ground. I have not been stung. All of the ones I've seen are roughly 1 inch, and range from off-white to very light grey, and occasionally medium grey. Some of the light grey ones have a tincture of beige or cream, and almost all of them have a thin dorsal stripe ranging from a rust color to a dark reddish brown. They blend in very well, unfortunately, with concrete, weathered wood, and brick mortar. I did not realize they came in so many color morphs, having never seen the yellow, or browner ones. I will say the little bastards are interesting to look at. Until very recently, I always held to the myth that it was only the dorsal stripe that carried the sting. I knew a landscaper, who was stung on the forearm, and wound up in the ER connected to a morphine drip. The pain he described was horrific--comparable to a rattlesnake bite. I've been pretty vigilant lately; careful when picking up the newspaper, reaching in the mailbox, opening car doors and trunks, moving the trash can with the rounded handle, and making it a point not to walk to close to walls, fences, and bushes in addition to not standing in one place for too long, since I've read that they have crawled up pant legs. For the most part asps move pretty slow, but I did see one move much faster than I had hoped. I'm also concerned about my two dogs even though they are mostly indoors. I thought that seeing a few asps everyday was eventful, until I read a few of these letters mentioning sightings from the tens to over a hundred. Seeing that many would make me apoplectic. I appreciate your website. I found that I got the most Internet hits regarding asps by using the genus-species name: Megalopyge opercularis. A neighbor of mine, who is the curator of the Cockrell Butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural Science, provided this name. Questions: Would it be prudent not to stand under the large oak trees on windy days (like today)? {I'm guessing yes} Roughly, what % of stings have resulted from skydiving asps? Do asps maintain a single color throughout their larval stage or does this change as a result of aging and/or adaptation? How long does their larval (read dangerous) stage last? Would pruning my trees of dead limbs, excess and sucker growth aid or exacerbate the asp problem? There were many of the 'cottony' looking eggs on the picture window which I hosed off. Was this adequate? Generally speaking, do dogs have a different reaction to asp stings? Any other comments you have would be most welcome. RS Houston, TX November 18, 2003
Mr. Cates,
I was stung on my palm on the morning
of 11/16. I was up in an oak tree and braced myself against the
trunk with my palm--right on top of a puss caterpillar that I didn't
see. I felt the sting right away, pretty mild at first. But
within about 2 minutes, it felt as if I had put my palm against the
heating element in the oven! After about an hour and a half, the
muscles from my knuckles to my elbow were cramping and painful.
The muscles at the site were twitching constantly, and red
"splotches" began to appear from my hand to my elbow. At
that point, for fear of the pain spreading further, I got treatment at
an emergency clinic. The doctor gave me shots of a steroid
combined with Benadryl, as well as some pain relief. The muscle
pain and redness subsided shortly after. The pain relief helped me
to sleep, but really did nothing for the burning at the site. By
the time I went to bed that night, the pain was still excruciating.
Fortunately, the next morning the pain had faded significantly.
Now, 2 days later, I still feel mild burning at the site, but nothing
like before. I've been stung by wasps and bees, but NOTHING has
ever been this painful!
Thanks,
EB
Flower Mound, Texas
November 17, 2003
Thank you for the information
presented at your website. I was searching for a lost cat last
night and as I reached behind a Nandina bush in our backyard was
stung at least twice by what I thought at the time was bull nettle.
When the severe stinging radiated up my arm to my armpit and shoulder I
knew bull nettle wasn't the culprit. As a teacher, I have a
wonderful resource in my school nurse. This morning she suggested
it was an asp that stung me and didn't know what to do to relieve the
swelling and pain. Not knowing even what an asp was, a Google
search led me to your website. Now, that spot right below my elbow
is sore, swollen, and very hot to the touch with two red half moons
clearly present but feeling much better than it did last night. I
wondered if this localized heat was common in puss caterpillar
stings. Every other symptom presented in the reports I had;
including swollen nodes, ! headache, and a slight tingling in my
shoulder and elbow. But no one else seemed to mention the heat of
the sore. Ice helps by the way.
Thanks for the peace of mind you gave
me today.
Lydia C., Round Rock, Texas Ed. Note: I asked if she had used tape to remove the caterpillar spines. Below is her reply:
Yes, I used the tape the morning after
when I read the reports. The sore did seem to feel better after
that. Now, it doesn't sting at all. Thanks!
Lydia C.
November 17, 2003 Mr. Cates, I accidentally brushed my right ring finger knuckle against a "blonde" lump of caterpillar yesterday afternoon in my backyard in NW San Antonio (78250). The caterpillar was resting on the edge of a bird bath and I brushed it while removing a leaf from the water. My knuckle immediately started burning. I washed my hands right away, but the burning pain increased and a throbbing ache spread to the back of my hand and then up my arm to my arm pit. I took a Benadryl right away, and after an hour or so 800 mg of Ibuprofen. I brewed some strong tea and soaked my hand in the hot liquid. I used the tea bag as a poultice for an hour or so. In the meantime my son found information and pictures of the "asp" on the Internet. I used packaging tape several times as recommended in several websites. Later I applied meat tenderizer on a moist paper towel. The pain stabilized in my arm, but my finger felt as if I had smashed it in a car door. By bedtime, my finger alternatively ached and burned, but Ibuprofen helped me sleep. It's been about 20 hrs now and my arm no longer hurts, but my finger still burns and aches. Not much fun. My sincere sympathies to earlier posters who had more intense contacts with these caterpillars. Thanks for your great site. Jim W., PhD, RPA, Archeologist; San Antonio, TX Ed. Note: I asked if he had used tape to remove the caterpillar spines. Below is his reply: I used tape repeatedly yesterday and it greatly decreased the pain while I was actually involved in applying and peeling the tape away. Afterward the pain seemed to decrease somewhat. Better now as the burning and numbing slowly seems to be fading away. My knuckle is reddish and a little splotchy, but no lesions yet. And it never swelled much, but the pain was about as bad as a severe burn. Later in the afternoon and into late evening the pain reminded me of an incredibly painful cortisone injection I received a couple years ago in the knuckle of my fractured middle finger. I will definitely be more careful and watchful in the future. November 17, 2003 I would like to report a Puss Caterpillar (Tree Asp) sting. Yesterday, 11-16-2003, my wife and young nephew were playing at the park, around 5pm, when she accidentally rubbed her wrist up against one of these nasty little creatures. I am writing you this email because she feels terrible, even 12 hours later, and doesn't feel like typing. She tells me that she felt the initial sting that immediately turned red, and that in as few as 30 minutes later she had a red rash that broke out from the initial site of the sting all the way up to her armpit. She said the pain felt like her entire arm was on fire. She was feeling so bad that we had to take her to the emergency room for treatment. The attending ER physician gave her a shot of what I am assuming was Benadryl to lessen the poison and some Vicaton for the pain. The doctor told us that the reason her armpit hurt was because the poison of this caterpillar affects the lymph nodes. I just spoke to my wife a few minutes ago and she is still in extreme pain, however the red rash has all but disappeared. The doctor prescribed three oral drugs to remedy this situation, Ceftin (Cephalexin), Atarax (Hydroxyzine HCL) & Vicodin (Hydrocodone). Needless to say, my wife will not be going to work today and I doubt she will be able to make it in for at least two or three days. A word to the wise, avoid these little animals at all cost, they will make you feel terrible. Al & Shallon B., League City, Texas November 16, 2003
We live in Polk City, which is in
Central Florida. My husband was out mowing this morning and came
in saying something stung him on the neck, he felt like his neck was on
fire and the sensation was moving around the back side of his neck.
A few minutes later he came back and showed us the culprit. A
furry looking caterpillar light brown/grayish in color with an
orange stripe and a couple of white spiny looking things. We made
a paste of baking soda and water, he took Benadryl, and we began
checking online. It took a while for us to find the species, but
finally we did. He is still not feeling well, but seems to be
ok... we'll keep watching him. We still have the little critter in
a jar just in case. We have several trees in our yard.. pine, oak
and sycamore, my concern is are there any other out there, we have a
small child that enjoys playing outside. We are grateful we found
your website, it was very informative and helpful.. thanks!
M. Fisher, Polk City, Florida
November 16, 2003
Jerry,
We live in Winona Mississippi , about 120 miles south of Memphis Tn. My sister brushed up against some holly type bushes back in Late August. I looked at your sight then and discovered it was a puss catapiller. We looked and the leaves had been eaten off of an entire row of bushes. I called Mississippi State University and talked with one of the professors in the insect department, and he said that he had never seen one and that they were extremely rare. My sister was in a lot of pain and called our pharmacist and he prescribed some type of antibiotic and told her what to do for pain. It has been several months now and a trace of the rash is still there. Also she had chest pain and still has joint pain in that shoulder, by the way she was bitten on the left arm around the elbow. Is there ever any danger of heart or lung damage? email me back if you have any other info that she may need. She is a 53 year old. Thank you, Barbara P., Winona Mississippi November 15, 2003 I was stung today when my finger brushed up against one of these at work. I didn't feel the sting right away but a few seconds later. It happened around 2:30pm and still hurts at 7:30. At first I felt a burning sensation on the finger and then it turned blotchy red and started throbbing. A little later I felt pain in my armpit. The pain in my armpit is a little better but my finger still throbs and burns. How long will this last? Thanks, Jessica B., Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida Ed. Note: I asked Jessica if she had tried using tape to remove the microscopic spines. Here is her reply: After reading about it on your website I did try the tape. I wish I would've known that at work when it happened. I'm fine now and there was still a little pain in my finger the next morning! I hope to never come across a puss caterpillar again. Thanks for the info :). Jessica. November 14, 2003 *************************************************************** HEALTH CENTER REPORTS A RASH OF STINGS FROM ASPS *************************************************************** The University of Houston Health Center has seen a rash of stings from caterpillars with sharp, hollow, poisonous spines. Contact with these spines causes a burning inflammation of the skin, but can be more serious when in contact with a mucous membrane or the eyes. The spines from dead caterpillars are still poisonous Typically, the contact area is the skin, which becomes red, burning, tingling and sometimes numb and swollen. Serious reactions are rare but can occur. These reactions include difficulty breathing, swelling of the airways, headache, nausea, vomiting and moderately severe pain. Seek immediate medical care for these serious reactions, as they could be life-threatening. Medical treatment is available on campus for students, faculty and staff at the UH Health Center. Health Center officials say treatment involves treating the area of inflammation by removing the venom spines. This can be achieved by pressing scotch tape over the entire wound and then removing the tape. This may need to be repeated more than once. Use calamine lotion several times a day at the contact site for comfort from itching. Take antihistamines like Zyrtec 10mg tablet or benadryl 25mg tablet and use an ice pack on the wound site. Also, take two Advil or Ibuprofen every six hours for pain. When in doubt, visit the UH Health Center or contact the physician on call through the UH Police Department after hours and on weekends and ask to speak to the physician on call. For more information, visit the Health Center's Web site at http://www.uh.edu/admin/hc/Asps.htm EDITOR'S NOTE: For the latest university news, visit UH Today at http://www.uh.edu/uhtoday/. To receive information on UH news and events via electronic mail, visit http://www.uh.edu/youru/media.html Ed. note: The above was forwarded to www.bugsinthenews.com on November 14, 2003.
November 13, 2003 A child in my class was "stung" numerous times on the neck, behind the ear, on the top tip of the ear, on the cheek, and just below the collar of his shirt yesterday. There were many caterpillars seen in the area for a day or so, and today there were reported by the school "not one seen". When feeling around in the top of his shirt to find the cause of his screaming cries, i found red welts and white spots. My pinky finger and side of right hand were stung as I pulled the two year old's shirt off. I thought at first, that he may have gone into an ant pile, but it turns out there was that peculiar looking caterpillar on the inner rim of his shirt. To think that not one of the staff had an idea as to what this insect might be, frightened me. Now I see that they seem to be quite common and to be watchful. "Falling-pain inflicting caterpillars!"-What a thought!! -Tara R. - Houston, Texas ( Sping Valley area ) November 13, 2003 My brother in law was hooking up his telephone wire outside. He was stung by the caterpillar and it looked exactly like the sting pictures you have on the website. He is going to the hospital as we speak. He was complaining that his whole arm was throbbing and numb. Is there anything that you can tell me other than whats on the web site? I would really appreciate it. Thank you for your time. Deborah A of New Orleans, Louisiana November 12, 2003
On Tues, Nov. 11, 2003,
My child was stung by a puss
caterpillar. However, he
does not appear to have been stung by the outer spines, but by the
insect crawling on him and by the creatures underside.
I would like any
information you may be able to send on this type of sting.
He did not have any problems with shock - only severe pain and the sore
area of where the underside was attached to him.
We will continue
treating with Neosporin.
Please send any info. that may be
helpful.
Thank you,
Terri M., Mobile,
Alabama
November 12, 2003
Hi, my name is Shelley and I'm a
preschool teacher at a private school in Spring, Tx. We have
had two students stung by the furry little caterpillars that we've come
to learn are the Puss caterpillar. One of the kids was a 13 year
old who ended up with a bad sting on the front of her ankle on
Halloween. It must have hurt a lot because she was in tears. Her
ankle got red hive looking welts and swelled some.
Because we didn't know what kind of bug this was we put Benadryl cream and ice on it. It relieved the pain somewhat, but not enough. Our second student got stung today. When the kids went to sit down for lunch (we eat outside under cover) there was a fuzzy caterpillar on the table and one of the kids went to flick it out of the way. When he did it bumped off the wrist of the child across from him. She too began crying and ended up with a red, swollen welt. She is 8, and luckily was not stung as badly as the first child. Within about 30 minutes she was up and playing again. We've passed a picture around now of these things and the kids and teachers both are on the lookout for them. I'm like everyone else in these letters in that I'd never seen an Asp before. November 12, 2003 Jerry, Ed. note: This kind of
citizen communication is important. It will be interesting to see how the
Chronicle follows up on this request. November 12, 2003
I live in Houston Texas and my son has
been stung twice and I have been stung once. Besides being stung
we have seen numerous "white" caterpillars in our yard.
I have never seen them before. How do I get rid of them? My
kids are afraid to go outside.
Christy S., Houston
November 12, 2003
Mr. Cates,
My wife Jan P. emailed you about a
week ago about our son being stung. This morning I went out and
saw a few more on the bushes, then saw more ...
An hour later, and I've collected 130
of them.
I've got them in a plastic jar if
anybody needs the venom for science. Otherwise, I'll be more than
happy to kill them.
Bill T., Round Rock
November 11, 2003
We live in Oviedo, FL, a suburb of
Orlando. My 10 year old son came in from playing in the back yard
where we have several citrus trees. He went into the restroom
to wash his hands when suddenly he started crying and saying something
is on my shirt and it stung me, as I ran over to him I saw a hairy,
white/tan colored caterpillar that I knocked off with a
plastic brush. I wasn't sure what to do, so I washed the area with
soap/water and he took a shower. At first I saw a white, circular
welt then his arm became red and blotchy, but I couldn't
detect any swelling. However, he was complaining and
crying from the pain and after about 15 minutes he complained of nausea.
I was preparing to take him to the emergency room, but wanted to contact
poison control center, so I searched online and quickly found
information about the insect. At that time I applied duck
tape repeatedly to remove the spines, a paste mixture of baking soda and
water followed by an ice pack and elevation. After just a few
minutes most of his severe symptoms were gone. Although, he was
still in some pain for the remainder of the evening.
Times like this make me truly appreciate the technology/information we have at our fingertips!
Kristi A.
Oviedo, Fl
November 11, 2003 Hello, My name is Jason C. and I was just stung by one of these evil little guys. I am 32 and have experienced many stings in my life, even survived cancer and chemo...this is PAINFUL! I sat in a camping chair in our backyard in Bellaire Texas (Houston) and one was hidden curled up on the top rear of the armrest...pretty hidden. I felt a sudden and sharp sting and at first thought it to be a bee. But, I turned and found a little furry white lump with orange brown Mohawk spikes like many others on your site had mentioned. Now I will do whatever I can to completely remove them...but more over I will make sure and wear shoes in the backyard (sadly enough I love being barefoot in the grass) and watch every nook and cranny before I sit anywhere outside. I feel for anyone else who has to suffer through the pain. It is not fun. -Jason C., Bellaire, Texas November 11, 2003 I've lived in Houston
since 1954. As a child my mother warned me about the "asp"
caterpillar. She had warned me that they lived in oak trees and we
had a large Virginia Live Oak in the front yard. I never saw an
"asp", however, until 1982 when I got stung. It was while
working under the oak tree in shorts. Apparently one had crawled up
the back of my sock and when I went to squat down the spines hit me in the
back of the thigh. I didn't know what had happened until I found the
caterpillar next to me. November 10, 2003
Sunday,Nov.9 my wife went out on our
back deck. She came to me shortly to show me where she had been
"stung" or bitten by what looked like a small kind of slimy
bug. This thing somehow ended up on the top of her hand and she felt a
stinging sensation. she rubbed the "thing" off but it sort of
stuck to her hand. When she finally got it unstuck she inadvertently
rubbed it on her hand getting a second sting 3inches or so from the
first one. She had 2 small puffy spots that looked similar to bee
stings. 2 hours later her hand and forearm swelled up a lot! You could
no longer make out the precise stings, you couldn't even make out her
knuckles! She had already taken the suggested over the counter stuff and
treated the hand with typical "Sting" remidies to no apparent
avail. I think the culprit was a Puss Caterpillar, however what my wife
saw was much smaller than what was on your web site but did look a
lot like one of the feet of the pictured caterpillar. Is this possible?
It seems unlikely that a small part of this this creature could cause so
much trouble. Besides the swelling she continues to experience
severe pain in her hand and arm that even a trip to the doctor has not
helped! Her description of the" thing" this could have been is
a very small gooey bug like thing that did not survive her aggressive
brush off. Can you think of any other culprit his could have been? I am
also concerned about her. symptoms have not improved after 30 hours.
Susan has been stung many times by bees and such and has never had a
reaction like this!
Additional note sent by same reporter on November 11, 2003:
I forgot in my earlier post to tell
you Greer SC we are in the upstate....swelling has finally gone down,
pain has subsided. I still think she brushed against a puss and the
only thing left when she looked at it was its stinger spine. We have
yet to have 1st frost. Thanks for any help.
M.H., Greer, South Carolina November 10, 2003
Hello,
We live in SW FL.
The type of puss caterpillar we have is the flannel variety. Just
about less than an hour ago my husband was stung on the neck by one of
these. He has been known to be anaphylactic in wasp sting
situations. We are monitoring his progress as I write this.
He took some advice he read to place very sticky tape on the area and
pull it back off in hopes to lift any remaining hair/stingers from the
site. He says it feels like burning hot poker as well as ice cold,
as well as like a hard sucker punch. He is in extreme pain.
We are in hopes this will subside soon.
Susan
November 10, 2003 Hi Jerry, FYI, a friend of a friend (only an acquaintance of mine) was recently hospitalized in intensive care here in Houston because of repeated stings from an asp. Isn't this the same thing? They couldn't figure it out for some time, but finally found that the thing had been in the cuff of his pants and had stung him repeatedly. He almost died (really) and he's young (late 20's) and very healthy. Ever heard of such a thing? It started with shooting pain up his leg, and then progressed to a more generalized thing with nausea and vomiting, I believe. My nephew wants to know if the moth that these guys grow in to is also poisonous. Do you know? Thanks for your info. We were really curious when we found ours and weren't sure if we should do a search for worms, caterpillars, or what. Happy Sunday. R.H., Houston, Texas Ed. note: 1. Asp is another name for the puss caterpillar. 2. Yes, serious reactions to the sting have been reported before, especially in susceptible individuals or those who suffer repeated stings. 3. The mature flannel moth does not have the venomous spines of the caterpillar, and no stings have been reported as a result of handling the mature moths. Only the larval (caterpillar) poses this risk. However, if you see a flannel moth, you will soon see the caterpillars, since the female moth lays eggs that hatch within the next several weeks. November 9, 2003
Hi we seem to have a puss caterpillar
infestation. It sounds like it may not be as bad as some others, but I
feel as though it is a matter of time till we get stung. we do have a
major infestation of a harmless little green caterpillar with white
hairs who seem to put up "webbing" which I have seen them in.
I do not know if there is any relation to the puss caterpillar. we have
lots of trees (pine, oak, camphor, pecan, crepe myrtle) and bushes (some
sort of holly and others) all around our house. anyhow, you mention
traditional pest control and biological pest control and it sounds like
you recommend the biological route. will this harm any other creatures?
we have lots of squirrels, lizards, birds, etc. in our yard who we do
not want to harm. do you know of anyone in Houston who deals with these
infestations? we are ready to take action!!! what will happen if
we treat our yard and the neighbors do not and they have them? will we
be re-infested later or will the treatment have a lasting effect? also,
what does a treatment typically run. thanks for your help!! we got lots
of info from your site. It was the most helpful of all the sites we
saw!!
thanks
Jeff
Houston heights
Ed. note: 1. Tent caterpillars of the genus Malacosoma are green with other markings, and produce webbing like you described. They are harmless to humans, and generally nuisances in the trees they infest but do little damage to them. 2. There are many good traditional pest control products that are excellent for controlling the puss caterpillar; I don't recommend specific traditional chemicals here because their use entails greater risks than the biologicals. In serious infestations, late in the season, traditional methods may work faster than going the biological route. However, when the caterpillars are young biological products using Bacillus thuringiensis, var. Kurstaki, work very well. In sensitive areas, and where high pressure sprays are required to reach foliage high off the ground and thus lead to increased risks of accidental over-spraying into non-target areas, using biologicals may be safer than using traditional chemicals. November 9, 2003 We were in Richmond Hill, Georgia walking in the woods and my husband was stung on his arm by a caterpillar big furry white one with brown fur going down the middle of it like a Mohawk and tail. Lori, Richmond Hill, Georgia November 9, 2003
My husband and our neighbor were both
stung by the furry caterpillar you describe, and they shared the same
symptoms reported by all your readers, in particular suffering
extreme pain for several hours.
We live in the same zip code reported
by a number of your readers, 77024. It seems clear to me that this
area is experiencing an infestation. Would you recommend that we report
this to Hunters Creek Village, to suggest they spray insecticide
regionally?
Thank you.
G.A., Hunters Creek Village, Texas
November 9, 2003
My
son who is two and a half years old was out in the middle of my deck in
the back yard when he all of a sudden started screaming and crying and ran
inside. I couldn't figure out what was wrong but he wouldn't walk on
his foot. I went out to see what he might have tripped on or stepped
on but there was nothing there, I noticed his toe started swelling and
turning red so I put ice on it and thought he might have broken it.
I was ready to take him to the emergency room when my friend saw what
looked like a fuzzy piece of fur that later turned out to be a puss
caterpillar. I saw little white spots on his toe and thought it
might be poisonous so I called poison control and described it. They
told me what it was and that it was going to hurt him for hours if not a
day. They said to stick duct tape on it to get the little spines out
and keep doing that with a fresh piece of tape until I couldn't see it
anymore (duct tape is stronger but you can see better with scotch tape).
Then to mix 1 part bleach to 9 parts water and dab it on the spot with a
cotton ball and give him Benadryl and Tylenol. This occurred on
November 6th, 2003 in Houston, Texas near the astrodome area near Myer
Park. I had never seen one of these before but after researching
them and seeing it with my own eyes on my deck I know what to look for and
avoid. The best way I can describe it is they are a diamond shape
and ball up sometimes. Their 'fur' looks that of a rabbits fur with
a dark stripe down its back. November 7, 2003 My son and I found what I think is a puss caterpillar on our porch post today while taking down Halloween decorations. Ours is a little more brown and has a rust colored stripe down the middle of its back. It moves very slowly. We've been careful not to touch it, since we figured it might sting. It curls into a ball when we move it with a leaf, and then uncurls after a while. We got a little glimpse of its feet, and it looks very much like the photos you have posted. We live in West University, in Houston and have two huge pecan trees in the front yard. Luckily we have not been stung. Thanks for all the info. We're fascinated, but we'll be sure that we don't touch the little guy. R.H., Houston, Texas Editor's Note: Color variations in this caterpillar are common. Tan, light brown, gray, and reddish brown have been reported. Some have a spinal stripe contrasting with the rest of the body, others have no markings. November 6, 2003
Yesterday afternoon my 11 year
old son stepped on a Puss caterpillar and cried and sobbed off and on
for hours, until he was finally able to go to sleep which wasn't until after
midnight. I called our Dr. and he advised Advil and Tylenol for
the pain. He sympathized with us, for he had had an encounter with
one and knew the severity of the pain. However he didn't know
about the tape. Thank you for all of your information, it has been
most helpful! The photo's are excellent.
L.H.- Our City and State are
Copperas Cove, Texas
November 6, 2003
Hello Jerry. My girlfriend
(works) at the health dept. here in Florence, SC. Last week she
told me of a child that was stung by an unidentified insect. She told me
tonight the specimen that was saved, had been identified as a puss
caterpillar. I had never heard of one and looked it up, finding your
informative website. By the way, the child is fine now.
D.P., Florence, S.C.
November 6, 2003 This afternoon I found the cutest caterpillar crawling on the tire of my van. Having been stung by cute fuzzy caterpillars in the past I knew better than touch. Thanks to your website and the A&M website I was able to confirm that I have a puss caterpillar. I live in Houston at northwest Loop 610 - close to where 290 dead-ends. Thanks for the info. NNP, Houston, Texas November 6, 2003 I was on your website and saw that you wanted information on sightings of these "caterpillars from hell." I have killed 7 already today, and it is only 1:00 p.m.. I live in Houston, Texas, in the Memorial Area. Most of our trees are live oaks and I have found the Puss on roses also. I was stung a couple of weeks ago by a smaller one, approximately 3/4" long. The pain lasted at least 10 hours and I still have a slight discoloration of skin. My mother was stung two days ago, by a much larger one, and had a lot of swelling and pain. She was tempted to go to the hospital, but she (treated the stings herself). Thank You for all the wonderful information you provided. NNP, Houston, Texas November 6, 2003
(In)
Houston, Texas on 11/05/03 we had 2 students stung. One 4 year old
(became) seriously ill after both wrist were stung. (This happened in
zip-code-)area 77024.
C.C., L.V.N, Houston, Texas Editor's Note: I asked this nurse to supply additional details on this incident, and her reply is posted below:
They
both were complaining of burning and crying, large red
welts, with redness surrounding area. I washed the areas with soap and
water, washing with a paper towel, rinsed the area with Bactine,
washed again and applied Hydrocortisone cream and an ice pack. It did
very little to relieve the discomfort. His mother was in contact
with his pediatrician because he broke out in a rash, and
had fever but not seen (His mother picked him up from school and drove
him home). Benadryl, Children's Motrin and ice packs were the only
treatment. He had a low grade fever yesterday in the afternoon
and evening. Both of his arms are swollen and sore today, but he is
better.
The
4th grade student was stung between the pointer finger and thumb (not
as bad) I washed the area, applied Hydrocortisone cream and an
ice pack. He returned to class.
C.C,
L.V.N., Houston, Texas
November 5, 2003
We must have an infestation of Puss
Caterpillars. In the past few weeks I have spotted and
destroyed at least 100 of these nasty critters. I was stung by one
about 2 weeks ago and it really was very painful. I feel like I
only brushed up against it, I would hate to have one really come in full
contact with me. They are all in our oak trees and
subsequently on our sheds, swings, gates, etc. around the yard.
They especially like to position themselves on the handles of things
like a watering can, car door handles, etc. In recent
years we have had these caterpillars but never have I seen so many as
this year. I can't enjoy being outside for fear of coming in
contact with one of these devils.
C.V., Wharton, Wharton County, Texas
November 5, 2003
Yesterday my 10 yr. old daughter
accidentally stepped barefoot on a Puss caterpillar in our garage.
We had never seen one before and didn't know what it was. She
seemed to be in severe pain so I put ice on it & then cortizone
ointment. The pain went on for hours & is still sore
today. We found your website this morning and wish we
would have known about the tape yesterday! Anyway, we kept the
caterpillar. It moves but looks like it's shedding.
After reading your site, I think we should kill it.
My question, if we have found one does that mean there are more in the
vicinity?
M.P. Round Rock, Williamson County,
Texas
Editor's Note: If you find one of these caterpillars, you should search your yard thoroughly for others. Look especially at dwarf yaupon and Chinese holly, then extend your search to the remaining shrubs, oaks and other trees. These caterpillars wander from their feeding sites, but seldom more than 20-30 feet. November 4, 2003 Thank you for
posting all of these responses. I notice I am not the only one in Spring
Branch (northwest Houston) to see these. I was stung today while waiting
on a bench for my kids to get out of school. The nurse had me rinse it
with soapy water and apply an ice pack. I didn’t think it was that bad
until about ten minutes later. I was stung on the back of my arm just
below the elbow. By the time we got home, I had numbness and a rash in
the area surrounding the sting, numbness in my little finger and pain in
my chest under my arm. It must have spread completely up and down my
arm. My son was stung about two weeks ago and I couldn’t figure out
why he was crying for so many hours. Now I know. Hopefully my symptoms
will be gone by the morning. Thanks, November 4, 2003
Hi Jerry,
I'm so glad that I discovered your web
site. We have a 7 year old granddaughter and a 4-month-old toy poodle
and we are afraid to let then go outside. Before they go outside we have
to police the area and gather the Puss Caterpillars. We are getting an
average of 30 plus a day. We have contacted the local sources about the
problem and no one seems to know what to do. In fact they can't believe
that we have that many, I have contacted one the Harris County Master
Gardeners and they didn't have any idea that the problem was this bad.
Also, my concern is the safety of the children at the local schools:
especially the Elementary Schools. I live in the Memorial area between
Interstate 10 and Memorial Drive and West of Wilcrest. The trees in this
area are primarily large oaks and a few pines. Spraying of these trees
would be almost out of the question. Do you have any idea how much
longer we will have to live with this situation. Any suggestions will be
appreciated. Incidentally, I was stung on the calf last week while
mowing the back yard. I brushed against the brick retaining wall around
my flower bed and sure enough, there he was.
Regards,
G.M., Houston, Texas
Editor's Note: Even high trees can be sprayed by pest management professionals using high-pressure spray equipment to disperse any of a number of pesticides labeled for this pest. I cannot recommend a specific traditional pesticide for this purpose. Biological pesticides containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki provide effective control of the puss caterpillar without exposing humans or pets to chemical toxicants; several sources for such products are available in the Houston area, and on the internet; I cannot recommend a specific source. These caterpillars typically disappear at the first signs of cold weather. Unfortunately, forecasts suggest this fall and winter will be warmer than normal, so a good frost may not occur in the Houston area for some time, if at all, during the 2003-2004 fall/winter season. Furthermore, the puss caterpillars you see today are preparing to pupate; in the spring they will produce mature Flannel Moths which will mate and lay eggs, starting the cycle over again. In warm climates this species can produce two generations of caterpillars per year, one in the spring, the second in mid/late summer. It is, therefore, recommended that an aggressive control method be used now to break the caterpillar-pupa-moth-egg cycle so that this problem will not recur next year. November 3, 2003
We
have a serious Puss Caterpillar infestation here in Bryan, TX. We
have probably killed 30 to 50 in our front yard. They have been
worse this year than in previous years. Is there anything we can
do to get rid of them?
Thanks,
C.C., Bryan, Texas November 3, 2003 Hello Mr. Cates, I live in New Orleans and I believe I was stung by a puss caterpillar on October 31st. I did not see the caterpillar and assumed that a buckmoth caterpillar had gotten me since I was playing outside with my 2 year old under an Oak tree, which I know those creatures love. However, my reaction to the sting was unlike any of my friend's experience with the buckmoth. I was stung on my ankle, but the pain was so severe and it traveled all the way up my leg to my groin. A friend had to come over and watch my daughter because I was incapacitated by the pain, which did not let up for over 12 hours. In addition to the pain, my leg muscles were twitching, I experienced chills, nausea and vomiting. To make matters worse, I am 5 months pregnant and my OB said I could only take Benadryl and Tylenol, which gave me no relief. If I had not been pregnant I would have ended up at the doctor demanding heavy duty pain killers. 24 hours later, the pain had dulled to that of a sore muscle and I had a lingering headache. I had no idea that such a small creature could inflict so much pain! I am so glad I found your website because I was wondering why my reaction was so much more severe than other encounters I've heard of with stinging caterpillars around here (buckmoths are very common). In the end I am just so thankful that I encountered the Caterpillar and not my daughter. ST, New Orleans, Louisiana November 3, 2003
Dear Mr. Cates,
I was interested to find another account of an encounter with a puss caterpillar in Round Rock, Texas yesterday. My 9 year old son came inside yesterday, Nov 2, after a brush with a bush in the front yard complaining of severe pain behind his knee. At first he had no signs of a bite or sting but his excruciating pain and the fact that his groin was beginning to hurt helped me to conclude that he was stung by a puss caterpillar. (I remembered that a neighbor had had a similar reaction to its sting several years ago.)
I put a paste of Adolph's meat
tenderizer with papain on the site followed by a paste of baking soda.
I then used the tape as directed, ice, and Motrin to control the pain.
Within just an hour, he was feeling better and was totally pain
free within several hours. We then went to find the culprit.
He looked exactly like the picture on your site. Today my son has
the classic markings of a puss caterpillar sting.
I hope that others, too, will try
these home remedies to see if these really can provide early relief from
the pain.
Sincerely,
Jan P., M.D.
Round Rock, Texas
November 2, 2003 Just wanted to let you know that I found one of these caterpillars on the SEAT of my hot tub today. Looked him up on the web and found your site. I live in southeastern Round Rock in the Kensington subdivision. There is a large, older oak tree that hangs over the spa and forms a small grotto which we have always found charming-now not so much! Would appreciate info about the best way to control this pest and ensure the safety of ourselves and guests; not to mention my 3# Yorkie who would be enticed to "play" with such an interesting visitor and probably would not survive the encounter. Thanks! S.D., Round Rock, Texas November 2, 2003 Mr Cates, I’m a father of two children “close to the ground” in Hinesville, GA. Three weeks ago my son shrieked in pain while playing outside. I easily found the inflamed area on the back of his hand and thought it was a bee sting yet found no stinger entry. We washed the area and sprayed Bactine on it but he got no relief. I sent my daughter to the area of dead leaves where he was playing in the yard where she located a puss caterpillar on a stick he had just handled. At first she told me it was a “mole” – and when I went over to examine the “little furry mole”, I concluded it was some kind of hairy grub. I put it in a jar. We took my inconsolable son to the emergency room an hour later. The doctors and staff had a great time passing around the jar but no one could identify the caterpillar. Eventually we got some Benadryl and Cortisone before we returned home. He seemed better in about 4 hours and there were no long term after effects. It’s difficult to assess the symptoms since a 1.5 year old can’t communicate well. The doctor who took my specimen told me he would find out what it was – never did. Today my sharp-eyed daughter found another. I bottled him up too and searched the internet until I finally found out who this bad guy really was. I appreciate the work you put into your site – we learned a lot and have forwarded links to our neighbors. I hope this encounter report helps you. Sincerely, Kevin K., Hinesville, GA November 2, 2003 Hi, very interesting site and it helped me after stepping on an asp this morning. My foot has never hurt like this. I told my husband it was worse than giving birth. I hope the pain subsides soon. Please be careful out there. A.P., Houston Texas November 1, 2003 Greetings, Jerry. November 1, 2003 Greetings. October 29, 2003
Thanks for your web site. My
wife has been killing many of the puss caterpillars in our back yard for
the past several weeks. Today she discovered six of them on the
wooden fence and on the brick veneer of our home.
She remembers very vividly an
encounter, when she was young, and is always reminding me to be careful
around those asps. The ones we have seen are a dark gray in color.
We live in the Spring Branch area
(northwest Houston) and this year seems to have produced a bumper crop
of those pests. Thanks for the web site.
W. & B. C.
October 24, 2003
My husband and I planted two plum
trees in our back patio area. They have been doing wonderful for a
year. About a week ago we started noticing the leaves were getting
eaten. So naturally we began to look the tree over daily.
Today I was frustrated after pulling the 30th puss caterpillar,
identical to your photograph off my trees. So I began to search
the web to find out what they were. Everyday I find
more. I thought an asp was a big hairy black crawly caterpillar.
Where are they coming from? Will putting Cedar mulch down around
the base of the trees affect these caterpillars like other
caterpillars? And if I do use an insecticide spray, wouldn't
you have to stop using it when the tree gets fruit? Thank you
for your information on this web-site.
D. and T. M.
Galveston, Texas.
October 20, 2003 I am a high school senior from Houston, Texas. At lunch today, I happened to lean on a wooden banister outside one of the shacks at school. Almost as soon as I did so, the outside of my elbow felt like it had been lit on fire. As I jerked away, I saw a gray asp sitting contentedly where my arm had just been. The pain didn't go away for a few minutes, and when I noticed a dew-like liquid leaking from the pores around the sting, i went to the nurse. She attempted to pull the spines out with tape, and then applied alcohol and thoroughly washed the area. For a few hours after the incident, the injury looked just like the pictures on your site. Now, 6 hours later, the only evidence that anything is the matter is a dark red mark shaped like the asp. My skin is still leaking the fluid. The nurse thought the fluid might be puss, and that this phenomenon is where the caterpillar got its name. I contend that my body is trying to get rid of the poison by excreting it through the pores. For the first hour my shoulder and pectoral muscles felt sore, but now i just have more of a throbbing pain in the elbow that baseball players will recognize as the same pain associated with throwing hard w/o warming up. Thanks for your website it was very informative. SM, 17, Houston, TX October 20, 2003
I found your website and wanted
to share my experience. Yesterday, after walking the trails
at Stephen F. Austin State Park near Sealy, Texas with my fiance, we
sat down on a log to have a drink of water. After a few
minutes I felt a stinging pain on the calf of my right leg.
I looked down and saw a grey-black caterpillar curled up on the ground
and a small wet mark on the log were I had apparently crushed it with
my leg. I knew that I had just been stung by an
asp, but I did not know how badly I had been stung or what
was about to happen to me. In about five minutes, the poison
made its way up my leg into the right side of my groin. Thanks
to a tip from a friendly park ranger, we drove to a nearby
convenience store where where I was able to get 50 mg of
Benadryl into my system. But the pain was increasing and was moving
into my lower b! ack, so we decided to head to the hospital.
Ten minutes later we were in Sealy, only to find out that the nearest
emergency room was 15 miles away in Bellville. As we headed down
the road, the pain in my back and groin was increasing and started
to move into the muscles around my stomach. I
also started to feel a tingling sensation in my arms and legs,
and the muscles in my hands began to contract. We finally
arrived at the hospital in Bellville and by that time the muscle
contractions were even affecting my speech. I was
taken to the emergency room and given a shot of Epinephrine and
something else (a "downer" I was told). After another
30 minutes or so, the pain began to subside, although I did get
feverish chills from the drugs. We left the
hospital a little over an hour later.
Today I feel fine and the
only evidence of my ordeal is what appears to be a small burn
mark on my right leg in the shape of a caterpillar. I remember
being stung by an asp when I was a child, but I never experienced
anything like that. I'm just glad its over and that we weren't
so far out in the woods that it might have been worse. My
fiance did a great job of keeping a cool head and driving me
to the hospital, and the emergency room staff in Bellville
was friendly and competent. I don't know what I would have
done without them.
S.A.
Houston, Texas
October 20, 2003
Have had several Puss Caterpillars in
my Garden, which is a Wildlife Habitat certified with both the NWF and
Texas parks and wildlife. I took a beautiful photo of one the other day
to place on my website. Then today I found a second Puss caterpillar
because I sat down on a bench and it brushed my leg.
I'm well aware of the sting these
caterpillars can give and give them the respect they demand, yet still
admire them! The sting site came up with the usual bumps similar to a
Bull Nettle sting and then the aching began to spread up through the top
of my leg & abdomen. After I was stung I did press some tape to
the area and pulled it off to remove any stinging hairs that remained
then applied Essential Oil of Lavender to the area, also excellent for
use with bee stings.
R.D. Bedford, Texas
October 19, 2003 Hey, my wife just got stung by one on our front porch. We live in central west Austin (near Deep Eddy pool). We have lots of trees. L.R., Austin, Texas October 18, 2003
Hi October 17, 2003
Hi~
My 8 ; son was playing at Lost Creek Park in Sugar
Land on October 16th and climbed a tree~ After he came down
he started yelling~ Once we finally got the bug off of him he had
3 big bites on his underarm and 1 on his foot. We picked up the
bug with a stick and put it in a bug carrier. There were some
landscaping guys there and they said they had all been bit by one of
those at one time or another and every time had a fever after the bite.
They told me because he had so many bites I should take him to my DR.
So off we went to the DR and she gave him a Steroid Shot and some
Motrin~ Then she gave us a prescription for an oral steroid for 5
days and something for if it starts itching. I did not take
pictures of the initial bites but after I saw your site I took pictures
of his bites that were 10 hours old. My son & I really were
amazed at the site (a friend that was with us found it) and he
made me print it off so we could read it. Thank you for the
information.
M.S., Missouri City, TX October 16, 2003 Found your site through jeeves.... Anyhow my family and I Live in Coppell, Texas outside of Dallas. We are in an apartment that is surrounded by holly bushes. A few weeks ago I went onto our back porch and on the door frame was this curious looking brown mouse looking cacoon. I showed my three year old. I remembered enough filmstrips from grade school to know better than to touch furry looking insects... My son wont touch 'em In the last few days I have seen at least one to two of these "varmints" on the brick or eaves of our apartments every day this week they all vary in size so I know they are not all the same one. I was really curious and even captured one onto a piece of board. just to figure out what it was someone said maybe an asp...so I did a search and lo and behold puss caterpillar. Thanks for your site. Amazingly decorated creatures.... Thanks for the warnings... M.W., Coppell, Texas October 13, 2003
Thank
you for your informative website! October 13, 2003
I
found one of these caterpillars crawling up my garbage can day
before yesterday. I did not know what it was so my neighbor checked your
website and found it. I found another one in its pupa state on my
storm door today. Another one was crawling up the pillar on my front
porch. All of these within the last 3 days. I am 65 years old and
this is the first time I have ever seen one. What amount would be an
infestation? I have no idea where they have come from. I have
a large oak tree in my front yard and two in the back. The one in
front has been there over 40 years. I also have a boron holly tree next
door. Recently the oak tree had a strange web appear on it. It went
up the trunk all the way to the top. Disappeared after a few days.
Please advise. Thanks for your help. October 13, 2003 I found your website today after doing some research on the internet about puss caterpillars. I have what I believe to be a severe infestation. In one 30 minute period, I recovered over 20 insects on my crepe myrtle tree. The next day I found an additional 20 or more, and today, I found them covering my yaupon holly bushes, my cottonwood, and the eaves of my house. I sprayed Dursban today in a effort to control the little buggers! We have contained several of them in a glass jar to show neighbors as several people have never been exposed to this insect. I, unfortunately was stung by one when I was young, and still vividly remember the incident. I live in Haslet, Texas - north of Fort Worth near Alliance airport, just off of 35W. A. H., Haslet, Texas October 12, 2003
I was
stung three times by two different puss caterpillars in Brazos Bend
State Park today while sitting on a bench under and oak tree.
Could you verify that this was indeed a puss caterpillar. I've
attached pictures - hopefully they won't be too big for you to download.
Thanks!
T.S., Brazos Bend State Park,
Texas
October 12, 2003
My Aunt found one in her back yard and
showed it to us. Me being one to touch everything, I did. Surprisingly
I did not get stung, don't ask me why not I "petted" it a
couple of times and even squeezed it to pick it up but when it's
back opened up to expose something underneath I decided to use a
stick to pick it up. I brought it home to see what it was and then
proceeded to put it back in the yard when I did. By the way this was in
Spring Branch, TX. Your site was helpful, thank you.
C.F., Spring Branch, Texas October 11, 2003
I've just come in from the yard and
found your web site. I have a tree full of them. We live off I-35
in south Ft Worth, Texas. It's been raining no more than we've seen
showers before and this tree has been here for probably 12 years and
we've been here for 6 and never seen them. we've had a lot of fire ants.
but have had more and we have been treating them with Amdro and Orthene.
Same as always.
Nothing is different from before. I'm
going to leave them until we get some pesticide. What do you recommend?
Nobody has touched them.
M.V., Fort Worth, Texas October 11, 2003 We had an infestation of these little monsters this fall. Didn't know what they were, but our kids had been warned by other neighbor kids that these bugs had mean stings. It is amazing that none of the neighborhood kids were stung. Our hedge of dwarf yaupon holly was covered with them, and they were climbing the walls of the house. They were everywhere. We don't remember ever having seen them before (we've lived in this house 11 years). We sprayed all of the shrubs, trees, and house perimeter to rid ourselves of them. It wasn't until I found your website that I realized just how dangerous they were. Thanks for the informative website. K.N. Austin, TX (close to 620 and 2222) October 9, 2003
have
never heard of these little creatures until last night. A co-worker got
stung on the leg. It had crawled up his pant leg while he was inside the
plant. We have no idea how it got inside. After about five hours or so, it
was still irritating him, but had not started swelling. It is amazing these
fuzzy little gremlin looking caterpillars can pack such a punch. I am
afraid to get it near water, they might multiply. Thanks for the
information. October 9, 2003 I got stung by one of these yesterday and ended up spending the afternoon in the doctor's office. The pain was incredible, though the one that got me was less than 1/4" long. They gave me steroids and an antibiotic, but it still hurts today. The building where I work is completely infested with these. They have decimated the bushes surrounding the building and have been spotted as high as on third floor windows. Some of them are well over an inch long. I'm located in St. Petersburg, FL and had never heard of these until I got stung yesterday. We've contacted building management and hopefully they'll be able to do something about it. S.O., St. Petersburg, Florida October 8, 2003 On Tuesday 6 Oct I found several puss caterpillars in Sull Ross park, across the street from Sull Ross school in Bryan. I was there with 3 other parents and too many young (5-8 yrs) kids when all of our children congregated at the far end of the picnic table with another father. They were looking (and poking) at what I only knew as a stinging caterpillar, that fell out of a post oak. I then found several on the playground equipment. We decided to leave. As we were standing up another one fell and hit the other father and got him on the upper arm and on his stomach, through his shirt. We came home, I told my wife about it, and she said she was" stung by an asp " as a child. I then started my search for more info to give to the school. I found this site today. I did not realize the little buggars are as nasty as they are. Regards, P.A.H., Bryan, Texas October 8, 2003 Today, my 5 year old was stung by one of these guys. She saw it on an oak tree and reached down to touch it (thinking it was fuzz). Immediately she screamed and it went down hill from there. I administered Motrin and Benadryl, but they gave her no relief. After about an hour we went to the doctor (with caterpillar in a ziploc bag) and they were able to identify it from the internet. She was given a topical steriod ointment and also steroid by mouth for three days. Any other treatment none? They did not do the tape procedure. Any chance the hairs are still in her hand and I should do it. It is now 10:00 pm and she was stung at 3:00 pm. D.P.S., Gulfport, Mississippi Follow-up msg rec. Oct. 9: Thanks for your reply. A. was fascinated to look at all the pics on your site this morning, and somewhat proud of the fact that she encountered the most dangerous caterpillar in N. America! She did not sleep well last night, waking up thirsty and achy several times. This morning, her hand is still a little swollen, and the bright red lines are still prevalent in the joint where her middle finger meets the palm of her hand. Since we saved the wooly guy in a baggie, she wants to take him to school for show & tell tomorrow, but I am thinking the risk of other kids being stung is too high. By the way, the oral steroid given by our family dr. is Orapred 15mg/5ml, and with the Benadryl, seems to be helping. We appreciate the info. found on your site, keep up the good work. Thank Again, D.P.S. October 8, 2003 Just had an unfortunate encounter with the puss caterpillar. My friend was stung on his wrist. Psuedo-paralysis and severe pain and nausea. We are located in Polk City, Florida. My son tells me he has seen many of these things around here. S.F., Polk City, Florida October 7, 2003
Hello,
I was stung by a puss caterpillar last night. I still have the little fellow in a plastic bag here at work with me. I brought it in and went online and discovered it is a puss caterpillar. The way I was stung is what is bothering me. I was changing into my night shirt and felt the sting on the small of my back. I thought I had been stung by a wasp that had got stuck in the house and crawled into my shirt. Only then I saw the furry thing on the floor. Today I still have some burning. I think the way he might have got into the house is, over the weekend I went out on our property (we have 1/2 acre) and picked pecans. This is the only way I think he may have been brought in. Who knows, but I'm not sure what to do with it. I want to kill it but my co-workers want me to let it go. Any suggestions?
D.Q. Houston, Texas
October 7, 2003
Yesterday, I was stung by a puss
caterpillar. I put my arm on top of our picnic table and the caterpillar
was under my arm. It stung me twice--I thought I put my arm on a jagged
piece of wood and moved it, only to come in contact with the caterpillar
a second time.
No joke, these HURT! My arm is still
stinging after being stung at around 5 P.M. yesterday, and last night
I experienced muscle cramps in my arm around the site.
We live in Crystal Beach, which is
across the Intracoastal from Galveston. I am going to inspect the area
again to see if more exist--where should I look? The one that stung me
is still alive out there somewhere. What can be done to treat for these
caterpillars?
Thanks very much for your web site. I
had never seen such a bug and was very worried about what had bitten or
stung me.
D.M., Crystal Beach, Texas
October 6, 2003
My two young children found one of
these on a low branch in an oak tree in front of our house. My 2
yr old was handling the furry little thing when she started complaining
that an ant was in her finger. The pain seems to come and go, she says
it's fine then complains of pain again. I used some sticky tape to
remove any of the hairs that might be there but couldn't see anything.
It has been a few hours now and so far she seems to be fine other than
pain in her finger. I appreciate your site, thanks.
S.G., Kathleen, Florida
October
5, 2003
: My
8 year old son came into contact with a puss caterpillar at his school
yard. He was pulling the leaves off of sucker sprouts at the base of a
large oak tree, and accidentally grabbed a orangish furry caterpillar
(we later identified it as a puss caterpillar thru pictures off the
internet). Almost immediately his finger started to burn and ache. His
after school care teacher promptly called me, told me he was stung by some
type of caterpillar, and was in quite a bit of pain. She asked permission
to give him some benadryl and tylenol to help control the pain. I told her
to go ahead with both, she called back within 15 minutes, and told me he
was still in quite a lot of pain, and now he had large red blotches on his
back and his ears and neck were extremely red. His finger had swollen
quite a bit as well. I
was able to get to the after school care program about 1.5 hours after he
was stung. The redness on his ears and neck had reduced some, but was
still quite prominent. The red blotches on his back had faded quite a bit
by this time, and the pain was coming and going about every 15 minutes or
so. I took him home and considered taking him to the emergency room, but
after looking up several sources on the internet and identifying what he
had been stung by, I was fairly confident his reaction to the sting was
typical, and should fade within a few hours. About 3 hours after getting
stung, he had a slight fever (99.9), and was slightly nauseaus, but the
pain was fading. We used a facial peel and coated the area he was stung at
in an effort to remove any stinging hairs still left, this seemed to cause
more immediate relief. After
6 hours, his fever was gone, he felt fine except for some local pain at
the sting area on his finger. By the next morning, about 16 hours after
getting stung, he was 100% back to normal.
We
didn't know these little guys even existed, much less how much pain they
could inflict. We went back to the school and found several more at the
same tree. I printed some pictures and information and gave it to the
teachers at school. Your web site was very informational. Thank you. C. H., Sattler, Texas (Northeast of San Antonio) The Community College I teach at in Mount Pleasant, Texas, has an infestation of puss caterpillars on their shrubs. These are grayish in color with reddish brown tips on the hairs. They completely surround the leaf of the small shrubs (prob. dwarf yaupon). I teach Biology at night at the college, and these were pointed out to me last night. A student e-mailed me today with the identification. R.G.L., Mount Pleasant, Texas
October
2, 2003
: I
was enjoying the early morning hours as I normally do (I am a day
sleeper). I felt a tickle on my shoulder and when I reached back to
scratch it, I pulled off this caterpillar. It left the now familiar
mark on my neck. I treated it with rubbing alcohol and Neosporin and the
pain was gone about 3 hours later. All swelling and redness were gone by
the time I woke up, about 12 hours after being bitten. Luckily, I found
the specimen after I had thrown it across the room, so I am positive that
this is what got me. B. (unknown location) October 1, 2003
Jerry,
I ran across this website while
looking up a bug I found crawling on my window. I have identified
it as the Puss Caterpillar by researching it on the internet. My
impression from reading on the internet is that this caterpillar is
native to Texas and the western states. I however live in
Northwest Florida. Perhaps the caterpillar is migrating east.
I just wanted to report my find to anybody.
Thanks,
T.J., Northwest Florida
September 30, 2003 Jerry, We have been invaded by Puss Caterpillars. We first noticed them on Thursday 25 of Sept. They are all over our Dwarf Yaupon Holly. I bet I have killed over 100 of the little fellers. All colors and sizes. We live a little north of Waxahachie Texas. Someone said you wanted this info. R, Waxahachie, Texas September 30, 2003
My
2-year old child was stung when he stepped on what I believe was a
puss caterpillar. Within 15 minutes, his entire inner leg from
foot to groin area turned red. I brought him to emergency room with the
caterpillar. Nobody there had ever seen one of these bugs. They
just treated him for an allergic reaction to a sting.
Can
you tell me the best way to get rid of these?
M.V., Louisiana Hello, My name is S. I am 40 years old and live in Gloucester Virginia. Thank you for your site and information on puss caterpillars. Saturday of last week two day after hurricane Isabel went through here, I went out to start our generator as we are without power. I am in fact using it to supply power to write this email and surf the internet. Anyway I reached down with my left hand to steady the generator and felt pain like I had just been stung. What I saw was the weirdest looking caterpillar I have ever seen. I have been stung by yellow jackets, honey bees, and jug hornets at least once and wasps so many times that I have lost count. But after last Saturday they pale in comparison to that caterpillar. I had muscle pain up and down my left arm for at least 6 hours, and my hand today being Monday although I have no pain is sore like muscle soreness. Hurricane Isabel it seems has blown all kinds of caterpillars out of the trees, where I live is rural and is all wooded. I have never seen that kind of caterpillar before, but you can be rest assured I will look out for it the next time. In anger after being stung I knocked it on the ground and stomped on it and smashed it. I wish that I hadn't now but after reading where you got stung in the eye maybe smashing it wasn't such a bad idea. I am writing just to let you know that here on the east coast of Virginia we have puss caterpillars also. To date after all the stings I have sustained, I have to rate the puss caterpillar the worst. Take care and thanks again for your web site, it helped me to identify what kind of caterpillar stung me. S., Gloucester, Virginia
September
16, 2003
Dear
Jerry,
I
own a condo near the Beltway in B.
H., September 14, 2003
While vacationing near the Chesapeake
Bay in Maryland, our son, age 11, was stung by one of these
caterpillars. He was leaning against a tree (unknown species) at a
golf course, and accidentally touched it with his hand. There was
a lot of discomfort, which seemed to increase over the next several
hours. We found the caterpillar right away and kept it, because we
didn't know what it was and thought it might be poisonous. There
was an outline of the shape at the sting site. We ended up
bringing our son to an emergency room, as benadryl and ice didn't seem
to be having much effect. The doctor was familiar with the insect
and called it a wooly worm caterpillar, and removed a couple of spines
from his hand, using tape. Our son felt better with ibuprofen and
was in pretty good shape the next day. An older woman we spoke to
at the golf course said that when she was a child, she had been stung by
one of these caterpillars in the Baltimore area and her whole arm had
swelled up. So apparently these things have been around in the
Maryland area for many years. We are from upstate NY and had never
seen anything like it before. Thank you for your website. We
were happy to learn more about this nasty creature.
P. H-S., Maryland
Thanks
for your very informative article and pictures.
It helped me determine what it was that stung me.
I
live near
D.L.A.,
September 5, 2003
While trimming some trees at my
sister's house, I stopped for lunch and got in the truck.(11:00 am) Had
a sharp pain on my right forearm and when I looked down at my shirt
there was something furry there so I grabbed a rag and took it off my
shirt. It was smashed pretty good. Went home, washed the area and
put tooth paste on it, then went back to work at sister's house and,
when finished (1:00 pm) washed area down and put some benadryl cream on
it was pounding and aching the throbbing lasted until about (4:00 pm)
the affective area is about the (sting) size of a quarter, but a dollar
bill size area has rash and aches.
R.S., Yulee, Florida
August 28, 2003
Hi,
We came across your web site while
looking for information on the Puss Caterpillar. My son was envenomated
earlier today and then he got a rash from the hairs this evening. He
wants to be an entomologist when he grows up so he's always finding bugs
and bringing them home. He found what we learned to be a mature puss
caterpillar at PE and was showing it to some kids when another boy tried
to kill it by grabbing my son's hand and making it squish in his fist.
He got several pricks from the spines and his hand turned red and
started swelling. He said the pain radiated up his arm. The school
called the medics and they checked him out. He is allergic to Benadryl
so they just made sure he was not having any kind of allergic reaction.
We live in Northeast Alabama near Gadsden. Mr. Puss is now residing in
my bathroom in a container. He wants to keep it until it turns
into a moth. But, from what I read it may take a while! Any info about
this caterpillar and envenomation would be helpful.
Thanks,
M.M., Gadsden, Alabama
August 25, 2003
Hi Jerry
I was just looking at your website because I found some of these strange caterpillars in a tree over the weekend. We were all touching it yesterday at a cookout because everyone was curious about what it was. Now I'm a bit shocked to find out what it could have done to us! This is the exact insect that we found and I was hoping you could give us some information on how to get rid of them. They seem to be killing a lot of leaves on our trees. Thank you! N.N., Virginia August 25, 2003
Read your info on these mean critters
. A friend here in Tarpon Springs Florida was stung be one today
while working in an oak tree. he brought it home with him. . we will
keep it in the glass jar. We gave him benadryl and ice and
cortisone 1% cream . Another person went to the ER this past week.
thought you might be interested . What do they do in Texas for these
caterpillars?
F.R., Tampa Bay, Florida August 23, 2003
Don't know if you're looking for
reports from only Texas or elsewhere, but we have just discovered them
all over our Yaupon Hollies. Hoping I caught them in time.
Location: Birmingham, Alabama.
J. F. July 27, 2003 My girlfriend was looking through my bushes and was stung by a puss caterpillar. We looked it up on the internet and found your site very helpful. You asked for reports of puss caterpillars in the area. Well, in about 45 mins we found around 30 of them in my bushes. I live in Pflugerville, and am responding to your request for reports. in the next email, I will include pictures. Any idea what is the best way to get rid of them? Thanks! C. in Pflugerville, Texas July 25, 2003 We have a serious infestation of puss caterpillars on our dwarf yaupon holly shrubs. They are more abundant on those shrubs on the south side of our house. This has been getting worse each of the past three years. Here's what happens. In early fall something starts devouring all the leaves from the yaupon holly plants. Within about three weeks practically all the leaves will be gone, leaving stems and branches exposed. Then we notice what I've always called tree asps will start crawling all over the deck, window screens, and eaves of the house. Within a few weeks these critters develop a hard shell and just seem to stick in place. I'm searching for a remedy for this problem before another fall of the year rolls around. I'm glad I found your report online because it describes exactly what we're dealing with. Is there some process we can do now to avoid this horrible problem occurring again next fall? Also, I'd like to know a little more about how puss caterpillars are reproduced. Do they lay eggs that lie dormant from one year to another, or are they started by some flying insect, etc. For instance, I've noticed some light brown moths around the same yaupon holly bushes in late fall. Could they be a carrier of puss caterpillars? We live in Richardson, Texas. I would appreciate any feedback you can provide on this matter. Regards, B.R., Richardson, Texas
Jerry,
we are B. and S. L. of sprayed an organic oil on everything.. we had never seen nor heard of this things.. they have left their droppings on our sidewalks, we didnt know what they were at first.. just thought we'd let you know, our neighbor has some in his yard also.. Sincerely... B & S.L., Grand Prairie, Texas July 11, 2003
Hey
Jerry
My mom was just stung she sat on one of these guys
she is in a lot of pain if you get
this can you call her?
She is in Brownsville Tx.
She has done the tape thing you
suggested and put ammonia on it
I am concerned because we will be
visiting soon and I have two small children and am allergic to bees. I
carry an epi pen
How can you get rid of these things?
Thanks, K. PS: my mom's name is J.K.
Hello,
I found your site because I am
unfortunately learning about pus caterpillars. Yesterday morning,
while weeding my grandmother's flower beds in Burnet, TX, I felt two
stings one on the left arm and one on the left leg. They were
sharp but I ignored them and continued weeding. About 5
minutes later I felt severe, buckling pain all over the left arm
and in the left groin and armpit. I backed up and realized that
her shrubs were completely covered in caterpillars. I didn't know
what they were (not being from Texas) and I was concerned that the
reaction was worsening so I went to the ER (I brought one of the
caterpillars with me). Unfortunately, at the ER I was not
instructed to wash the area, so the poison really set in. I have 5
areas of contact on my left arm and one on the left leg. The arm
looked a bit swollen, but the symptom I've been experiencing primarily
is debilitating nerve pain. The sites of the sting themselves
don't really hurt, the pain is from the armpit to the finger tips.
It finally lessened about 3 hours ago (36 hours later) with 2 Vicodin, 2
benadryl, and 4 Ibuprofen. I am now in mild to moderate
discomfort. Those suckers pack a mean punch! I wonder if the
toxin is a type of neurotoxin.
Well, that's my story,
T., Austin, Texas
July 8, 2003
Jerry, I've found a 1/2 dozen of
these little guys so far. I'm attaching the pictures of them.
They have been on our burr oak tree. Didn't know what it was, so
we took pics and sent them to "What kind of caterpillar is
this" web site. They (whomever they are) identified it as a
puss caterpillar, and was kind enough to send along some more info.
We have small children (3 & 4 yr old boys), so we'll be removing
them carefully and sending them to live at the city dump, where we've
promised the boys they'll find lots of goodies to eat. Any way,
here're some pictures to add to your collection. Too bad it's such
a toxic little thing. It's awfully cute.
Thanks.....J.G.
Harker Heights, TX
June 14, 2003 Jerry, Yes,06-14-'03 I had an encounter with the "PUSS CATERPILLAR"! OUCH!!!. I'm here in Denton county, city of Denton, TX.. This is day # 2(06-15-'03) of my "encounter". I'm OK so far. I'm located aprox. 1.5,south of the Golden Triangle Mall. Just wanted to report my "puss caterpillar encounter" to ya. Thank you for your time. R., Denton, Texas
May
31, 2003
:
Jerry,
Just
read your article, and want to report a huge infestation of these furry
caterpillars. Our home is in the North Pacific region of
E.
and B. D.,
Hi,
Saw that you are interested in these
disgusting
creatures.
Would
like to pass on some
information
to
anyone
who
has
been stung by these caterpillars.
Four months
ago, I was
stung on my face by one.
The itchy, patchy scar
lasted
for 4 months or until I decided it
was
not going away by itself.
I
started
applying benadryl
ointment to the site
and
it
finally started
disappearing.
Not
completely gone but
looking
much better. N. B. (unknown location) December 4, 2002 Hi from Florida. I have been puzzled by these cute little cuddly-looking things, and finally got out my bug ID book and discovered what they are. I figured any bug that cute would not be good to touch, so I haven't. We have several hanging around our deck, in various colors and designs. My favorites are the rust colored ones with lighter stripes. Do you know if their spines inflict harm on animals? My cat stepped on one recently but it didn't seem to faze her. D., Florida November 19, 2002 Hi Jerry, I was stung by a Puss Caterpillar in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida yesterday. It must have gotten on me when I was outside my office at work, I didn't know it until I went to the bathroom and it stung me on the back of my thigh. My whole leg was burning with a numbing sensation that extended all the way down to my foot. The pain/numbing sensation lasted a few hours, and then the pain was much milder after that. I'm not bothered by it today. Best regards, J.E., Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
I
don't know if you're interested in sightings of the caterpillar outside of
A.
Y., October 29, 2002 Hi, I work at a seabird sanctuary in Florida, close to St. Petersburg, on the Gulf coast. Right now we are experiencing a major infestation of puss caterpillars at our facility. We had a young child and a volunteer stung by them in the past two days. They are all over our fences, both free roaming and in cocoons. Do you have any environmentally friendly solutions to this problem, since we have birds that come into contact with these areas of infestation? Also, would you be able to give me an idea about their life cycle and why we are again having such a huge infestation at this time. We have been recently spraying for fire ants; could the decline in ants be facilitating a growth in caterpillar populations?
Any
help that you could offer would be greatly appreciated because the
sanctuary is frequented by the public daily and the staff is in contact
with these insect throughout the day.
A.A. |