What's the Deal with Woolly Bear Caterpillars?

It's that time of year when you're likely seeing those super fuzzy black and brown caterpillars roaming around everywhere. Woolly bears are easily found in the fall months seeking out shelter to hibernate in or under. If you look outside under lawn furniture, leaves, logs and rocks, your sure to find one, but since these little fellows are actively seeking safety for the winter months, you're just as likely to see them crossing the road or crawling along a sidewalk. This week, A B Pest Control & Insulation thought it'd be fun to share with you some information about the woolly bear caterpillar!

What's a Woolly Bear?
The banded woolly bear is the larval form of Pyrrharctia isabella, the Isabella tiger moth. This medium-size moth, with yellowish-orange and cream-colored wings spotted with black, is common from northern Mexico throughout the United States and across the southern third of Canada.

Woolly bears, like other caterpillars, hatch during warm weather from eggs laid by a female moth. Mature woolly bears search for overwintering sites under bark or inside cavities of rocks or logs. That’s why you see so many of them crossing roads and sidewalks in the fall. When spring arrives, woolly bears spin fuzzy cocoons and transform inside them into full-grown moths. The adult moth isn't very attractive when compared to other species. It has golden-brown wings. They also have faint darker brown lines on their wings and the females have a pinkish-orange hind wing.

Will They Damage the Lawn?
The nice thing is that the caterpillar isn't a crop pest and mostly feeds on common deciduous forest trees such as elm, ash, low growing herbs, and other forest plants. They are particularly fond of narrow leafed plantation which is a common garden weed that is found in lawns. This particular caterpillar is not known to feed extensively on ornamental landscape plants or vegetables. The caterpillars rarely cause concern in gardens and lawns because the damage they do occurs so late in the growing season.

Can Woolly Bears Really Predict the Winter? 
The Old Farmer's Almanac shares legend that the woolly bear caterpillars can predict what type of winter we'll have! According to folklore, the Woolly Bear caterpillar has 13 distinct segments of either rusty brown or black. The wider the rusty brown sections (or the more brown segments there are), the milder the coming winter will be. The more black there is, the more severe the winter.

More recent studies state there could be a link between winter severity and the brown band of a woolly bear caterpillar. Evidence suggests that the number of brown hairs has to do with the age of the caterpillar. In other words, how late it got going in the spring. So, going off of this theory, the band likely does say something about a heavy winter or an early spring... from the the previous year.

What do you think? Is the folklore accurate? Do the woolly bears you've seen tell a story reflecting last year's winter or do you think it's an indication of this coming winter? While these fuzzy little creatures are not cause for concern if you find them around your home, it's best to leave them where you find them so they can go about their business of finding a safe place to hibernate for the winter. 

Your Pest Control Experts at the Lake of the Ozarks

At A B Pest Control & Insulation, we appreciate all things pest related. And, of course, we are firm believers in the more you know, the better prepared you can be! As previously stated, woolly bears are not a pest to be concerned about. But if you do find unwanted pests lurking around your home this fall, be sure to give us a call! We'll help get rid of any pest problems you may have inside and outside!

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

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www.abpest.net

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