Egypt4u

I guess there is a season and a time for everything. This year it is our time for a total and complete (yuck) infestation of these caterpillars. I don't know what kind they are but this year over the last week we've had the worst infestation ever of these creepy crawling beasties on EVERYTHING.

I went out in the morning a few days ago to find them all over my front door, hand railing, garage door - EVERYWHERE. All of the crawling about on the sidewalks, roadways AND what is even more interesting is/was - not a bird in sight!

For the past week everybody has been flicking squashing batting (and a few rescuing - GET A LIFE people) these as they are everywhere. I've been out in the backyard picking them off my 5 new blueberry bushes and have been watching them but so far I have not seen one bird here try to eat them. You'd think the birds would be totally scarfing up on all these caterpillars but the birds are ignoring them.



Didn't have my good camera with me when I thought about taking a photo of this beastie but they're about 4cm long, slightly fuzz and just yucky.........do NOT like caterpillars at all.

The birds won't touch 'hairy' caterpillars as they are usually poisonous, especially when they show bright colours as these do. Not sure what they will be, but they are very similar to the caterpillar of one of our really nice Butterflys, the 'Peacock' also the fact that they are feeding on nettles adds to me thinking they may be the same or similar species, they could also be 'Red Admirals' as both have a similar feeding pattern and similar caterpillars, do you have either species native over there?

Hmmm - I know less than nothing about caterpillars or moths or butterflies. I LIKE butterflies but my knowledge ends about there. Guess poison explains the birds not having an interest. Apparently ever 8 to 10 yrs this area gets an infestation of these. I never saw them at my other house but it is quite a bit further north than this place on the Island.