Stinging caterpillars

[Johnny Dangerr]

High acid like urin knocks the sting out in about 2 minutes.

[cosmiccowboy]

I got hit by an asp once and it was definitely the worst sting I've ever gotten.

[Dejashoot]

We have a bumper crop down at the house right now. I hate asps.

[berettadave]

Asp's sting pretty bad compared to most other caterpillers. They also change colors each season. You mostly find them in hackberry trees around here.

Dave

[12 point]

I've seen asps and some other critters that I had previously mistaken as immature asps, but was incorrect. These things are green with orange protusions of some kind.
I forgot what exactly they're called, but they hurt bad when rubbed up against.

A couple years back, I was working on a truck engine and saw the little green and orange catepillar and thought I'd just leave it be and work around it. WRONG.
Hadn't forgot about it, but managed to just ever so slightly make contact with it as I changed the position of my arm while working under the hood. Instantly red welts appeared followed by a severe burning sensation. If such slight skin contact resulted in welts like that, I'd hate to see what more thorough contact would be like.

[Jp.]

we have the black furry ones. Those the ones you're talking about?

There was a bunch at the house we went to yesterday, counted maybe a dozen, One of the little kids tried to pick one up but got stopped before he could get to it. It was a great lesson for all the kiddos.

[k9trainer]

There was a bunch at the house we went to yesterday, counted maybe a dozen, One of the little kids tried to pick one up but got stopped before he could get to it. It was a great lesson for all the kiddos.

I've been just letting them go but maybe now I'll start a removal proccess. My daughter knows better but my little man is crawling and walking now

[bear]

something else to watch out for.... thanks for the headsup

[ZZ Pops]

They actually are not "stinging" like a wasp or scorpion does. What you are feeling are hairs that break off and cause a burning sensation, but they are evil nonetheless!

Yep. But those hairs inject a toxin:

"Stinging caterpillars share a common defensive strategy to dissuade predators. All have urticating setae, whic are barbed spines or hairs. Each hollow setae funnels poison from a special glandular cell. The spines stick in your finger, then break away from the caterpillar's body and spill the toxins onto your skin." --About.com, Insects

[flywise]

High acid like urin knocks the sting out in about 2 minutes.

Thor, your not suggesting I keep a bottle of wizzzz around the house are you?

[JonBoy]

Saw a few in the back yard this weekend myself...they quickly went into the lit firepit

[2B4Him]

Man they are bad this year at my house. Trying to sit under a large oak tree today while kids were playing/egg hunting and 3 people got stung by them. Guess they were dropping out of the tree. Luckily the youngest to get stung was a 13 yr old so no little ones stung.

I'm pretty sure it was a buck moth caterpillar but i'll try to get a pic tomorrow after I get home from work.

I got popped three times in one day a couple of years ago by those buggers - mowing around hackberries. Once on the neck, twice on arms. Swelling, burning, headache, etc.

[BigL]

Sorry for the poor quality cell phone pics. I guess when I zoomed it I should have refocused or turn on the autofocus. Here is what they look like. This one fell off the overhang right in front of me as I walked toward the house tonight. One more step and it would have fallen right on my head or down the back of my neck. These pics were taken right before the caterpillar was introduced to my size 14 shoe.

[Martin]

What the heck.....I don't have those and I don't want any! Got plenty of asps to worry about.

[Mister Bubba's bulletman]

I was climbing a tree as a kid and swung out and grabbed a higher limb and got hit by an asp.

Must a fell 15 feet bouncin like a pin ball hittin limbs all the way down.

Half a century later I can still feel that thing stinging!