Dagen dه larverna kom (Caterpillars in Sweden!)

[PsychicWarVeteran]

When I was a kid, there was one summer during which Seattle saw a massive carpet-caterpillar plague. Every tree in my neighborhood was infested with the fuzzy, wriggling worms. It was pretty awful.

But, it was never so bad thet they started nesting in peoples' bicycle seats! That's how bad it got in Flogsta, Sweden last year! Check it:



More pictures here:
http://user.it.uu.se/~svens/larverna/normal.html

[Idiot_Savant]

We have similar here.We call them web worms, instead of the webs being cast around the trunks they hang from branches and are a dirty looking tan color. The worms are said to pack a powerful sting but so far I've never been stung, lucky since I used to let them crawl over me.

[PsychicWarVeteran]

The worms are said to pack a powerful sting but so far I've never been stung, lucky since I used to let them crawl over me.

Some bullies threw a couple of these caterpillars down my shirt when I was a kid. The fuzziness is actually a bunch of quills, basically, which have some sort of irritant in the tips. I had a serious rash for days.

[Mespheber]

We have the same plague in France. No caterpillars but tourists, millions of them.

[cthulhu]

thank you for posting this, i must now bid you a fond fare well so that i may go vomit..

[voilodian ghagnasdiak]

Same here...they are Gypsy Moth caterpillars and we are infested with them and their grownup counterparts at present.I was outside at around midnight a couple of weeks ago and all I could here was a sound similar to gravel falling through the trees. I am surrounded by very large at least 50 yr old Elm, Oak, Maple, Birch, Walnut and Chestnut trees. All I could hear for thousands of feet was the munching of Gypsy Moth caterpillars eating the leaves on the trees. They can destroy a 100 ft. high Oak tree in one season. The sky is littered with the mature moths also. Their nests do look like a silken spider web. I hope that they dont do too much damage to my already failing Birch and Magnolia trees.

[Governor of Rowe Island]

Nice find PWV. Incredible pics in that link. Reminds me of something that might happen in a P.K. Dick story.

Imagine finding your bike like that?! I think I'd just leave it there. I've never really much liked walking through cobwebs, and that's just taking the piss.

[voilodian ghagnasdiak]

I couldnt view your link until now PWV. Those pics have an ominous post apocalyptic type of air to them. What the h*ll kind of caterpillars are they and how long before they make it to the western hemisphere? European Gypsy Moths are a plague here now as we speak. I guess we're all going to have to start breeding lizards and snakes to devour the infestation.
Thanks for the premonition.

[Mespheber]

Same problem than you Voilodian. Finally, I admit I prefer tourists. Yerk!

However, I may have a solution...

[voilodian ghagnasdiak]

AAAh..If its good enough for Renfield..Its good enough for me.



Maybe if you can get the tourista's to eat the bugs it will fatten them up so that you can in turn eat the tourista's and complete the food chain.
This would also help solve the food shortage problem that you had previously mentioned and squash 2 caterpillars with one stomp!

[Mespheber]

Gosh! You got me!

[PsychicWarVeteran]

Maybe if you can get the tourista's to eat the bugs...

Hum. I thought the French had a long history of that.

[Madrigal Rose]

I got acquainted with the stinging variety the first year I was here in FL when one managed to land on the armrest in the car. It felt a lot like stinging nettles, which is such a wonderful sensation done that too...

[Mespheber]

Hum. I thought the French had a long history of that.

Yum! Yum!

[PsychicWarVeteran]

Okay, so a bike seat loaded with caterpillars is one thing, but how about bees?



Found this one at the US Naval Safety Center website. They have all kinds of funny safety-related images to browse through.