What's with the big brown caterpillars.......

[beebul]

..... That seem to be everywhere at the moment? This is our second winter in Adelaide and I didn't notice them last year!

[Diane]

Do you mean the empty cases? They are from moths.

[Blossom]

We used to have LOADS of them at my last house (dark brown hairy ones). I'd spend ages trying to convince my chickens to eat them but they would have none of it lol.

I haven't noticed any this year though.

[beebul]

No not empty, they're big, dark brown and very furry, velvety. I live in Glenelg and they're munching everything. All plants, lawn, even woody trees! I see them all over the paths and gardens when out walking.

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

No not empty, they're big, dark brown and very furry, velvety. I live in Glenelg and they're munching everything. All plants, lawn, even woody trees! I see them all over the paths and gardens when out walking.

 

Oooh I'm in Glenelg too, down near the beach and jetty road I've not seen any!....hmmmm off to have a scout around now!

[Guest Guest75]

It's just the time of year for them.

I don't know why they have population explosions in certain areas , perhaps due to a lot of food available??

Have the council kept up with the local verges and parks.?

 

 

Our family nickname them "Voof!" caterpillars, my visiting pyromaniac nephew could not resist putting a naked flame near them..................

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

our family nickname them "voof!" caterpillars, my visiting pyromaniac nephew could not resist putting a naked flame near them..................

 

eeeewwww!

[beebul]

Oh my Tyke, meanie nephew, poor little furry fireballs :-(

 

I live next to the old gum tree, I guess its very leafy around there, inc the verges, so perhaps that's why.

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

Oh my Tyke, meanie nephew, poor little furry fireballs :-(

 

I live next to the old gum tree, I guess its very leafy around there, inc the verges, so perhaps that's why.

 

I wonder if it was the weight of them that bent that tree over?!

[KathCats]

We have a few too on the Lavender bushes, which is unusual.

We also have an abundance of brown curly wormy things which seem to get everywhere. What are they and how do they keep getting into the house? Our daughter hates them but the birds love them!

[beebul]

Yeah, they're horrid too. I just pick them up and throw them out. A friend told me if you accidently stand on and crunch one, they stink?? Barf!

[AussieRob]

No not empty, they're big, dark brown and very furry, velvety. I live in Glenelg and they're munching everything. All plants, lawn, even woody trees! I see them all over the paths and gardens when out walking.

 

Yep, we've got heaps of them. Always seen them, but not in these quantities. We spray one plant and they go to the next.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Does anyone know if they are safe?

The grandkids like to pick them up and I figured that they looked harmless enough. We had a chap here the other day doing some work and his mates wife is a vet. Told us that they have some sort of toxin in their coats??? Don't know whether he was winding me up or whether i'm letting the kids play with a toxic critter?!

If so I better add it to the list of Aussie wildlife that you don't want to mess with! (Don't tell my daughter what the kids get up to at grandma's!)

[huggesy]

sometimes the little hairy caterpillars if they aren't toxic, the fine hairs can cause irritation both to skin and affect respiratory systems.

[wizzywozza]

You shouldn't touch woolly bears, their hairs can cause nasty irritations.

 

And the millipedes DO stink if crushed ....... I remember back in the 90's when they were in plague proportions ........ we literallly had hundreds in the house every day. When my parents visited in 93 Dad would go round with the dustpan and brush every night and gathers dozens of them up.

[Guest Guest12727]

I am so relieved to hear caterpillars are still around. I used to play with them all the time as a child, but in the last 10 yrs back here I haven't seen one.....and I often wonder about this. I used to collect them, keep them in jars, get food for them, have them crawling all over my hands - never had a reaction, but I do know that birds etc won't eat them because of their toxins. Some people may react but I think they are pretty harmless for most.

[Diane]

It's just the time of year for them.

I don't know why they have population explosions in certain areas , perhaps due to a lot of food available??

Have the council kept up with the local verges and parks.?

 

 

Our family nickname them "Voof!" caterpillars, my visiting pyromaniac nephew could not resist putting a naked flame near them..................

 

Isn't that how serial killers are supposed to spend their youth, before moving onto hurting small animals, and finally progressing to humans?

[TonyD]

Isn't that how serial killers are supposed to spend their youth, before moving onto hurting small animals, and finally progressing to humans?

 

Just remember Diane, he is from Yarkshire - They're a funny lot!

[Keith & Linda]

Isn't that how serial killers are supposed to spend their youth, before moving onto hurting small animals, and finally progressing to humans?

 

Did you not cut up frogs in biology at school, do you not use swats or poison spray on flies and spiders, and have you never tried putting a lighted match to your fart? yep we sure are a funny lot.

[Diane]

Did you not cut up frogs in biology at school, do you not use swats or poison spray on flies and spiders, and have you never tried putting a lighted match to your fart? yep we sure are a funny lot.

 

No to the frogs question (and I am sure you didn't do it while they were still alive....did you?), definitely no to the farts question, I rarely harm a spider in case they send their bigger scarier brother after me, and flies - yes do swat them (a quick death that they know nothing about beforehand!) but that's a little different to setting fire to something living to see how well it burns!

[monty9110]

The first winter I arrived (in 2009) there were hundreds of them, all over the pavements but haven't seen them since until now!! Wonder where they've been for the last 5 years???