Missing Wooly Bears

[pomtzu]

I don't know about anyone else, but I haven't seen a single Wooly Bear Caterpillar so far this year. Normally, we're overrun with them by now, in the yard, and coming across the roads from the farmer's fields. I miss the little prognosticators!

I wonder if the winter is going to be so bad, that they don't want us to know!!:eek:

Has anyone else seen, or not seen any? If so - what part of the country are you in?

[lvpets2002]

:) In fact now that you mention it = I just saw two good size ones on the road yesterday.. But other than that I have not seen any others..

[Asiel]

I did see a total of 5 over the summer, not really enough compared to other years. I spotted two vivd green with black ones on our patio and I spotted 3 rusty and black coloured ones in the pasture. Just crawling around in the heat of one of the rare sunny days we've had. I too wondered if it had anything to do with the cold wet summer we had. I hope it doesn't mean a hard winter although they are forecasting snow for tomorrow. Dark and gloomy out today and expecting rain.

[Anikaca77]

I saw a part of one about a month ago, and it was brown. Something must of ate only part of it or something.

I live in the middle of PA :)

[jennielynn1970]

I saw a total of 1 this season, and that's it. I was wondering what was up with them myself. I'm in northeastern Pa, and normally I see a bunch of them!

[smokey the elder]

No woolly bears, but we had an absolute swarm of ladybugs at work yesterday!

One year, before the coldest winter in recent memory, I saw a woolly bear that was solid red! No black at all.

[pomtzu]

I did see a total of 5 over the summer, not really enough compared to other years. I spotted two vivd green with black ones on our patio and I spotted 3 rusty and black coloured ones in the pasture. Just crawling around in the heat of one of the rare sunny days we've had. I too wondered if it had anything to do with the cold wet summer we had. I hope it doesn't mean a hard winter although they are forecasting snow for tomorrow. Dark and gloomy out today and expecting rain.

Green??? And what had you been drinking before you saw the green ones???:confused::D (just kidding)!!! :p

They are typically rust and black, altho last year I saw a blonde one. It was little so I'm presuming that it was a baby that hadn't developed it's full coloring.

Folklore has it, that the wider the black bands at each end, then the harsher the winter. So I wonder what it means when you don't see any??? I hate to think of the possibilities. :eek:

I just got driven indoors by swarms of ladybugs. It's warm out today, and every time we get a warm snap after it's been cold, then they swarm by the hundreds. I had them in my hair and crawling all over me. :eek: The whole back of the house is just covered in them, and of course when I opened the door to come inside, quite a few made it in with me too. And those little suckers hurt. They don't bite - but they pinch. :mad: Pesty little things.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I'm not sure that we get them here- I usually don't see any. But I saw one at my mom's house this summer (in Iowa) and it was the exact same shade as her carpet (beige) where I found it. It was just a little guy.

[Pinot's Mom]

Haven't seen many woolly bears - a few camping this past trip, none at home...NOW on to the LADYBUGS!!! :mad:
Every year we have a simultaneous hatching of the ***** things! One warm "Indian Summer" day, as we go into fall, we'll be greeted at the front of the house by THOUSANDS of them, inside and outside. This was last evening. There are several dozen inside, and the rest sunning themselves in the late afternoon sun full force on the front of the house. One year they literally covered the whole front of the house so badly I got back in my car and drove to Home Depot to get spray, just so I could get in the front door. It was before we had Pinot; I subsequently found they had covered the windows on the back of the house(inside); I got a bug bomb and killed them. Bad luck be damned....they're a pain in the butt and they STAIN!
Sorry, Ellie, didn't mean to steal the woolly bear thread, but a BIG NERVE was tweaked! :o

[Trinityagain]

I rescued a wooly bear in my front yard a few weeks back, put him in the grass so he wouldn't get stepped on. His black front and back ends were fairly narrow and the middle was a nice brown....and I am near Pittsburgh....

And our building here at work is getting swarmed by the ladybugs right now!

[pomtzu]

I'm glad I'm not the only one plagued by ladybugs. I hate the miserable things when they swarm by the hundreds - and yes - thousands. We had a terrible infestation a couple of years ago. I just walked out the back door, and they're starting to dissipate now that the sun is starting to get low. They'll be back tomorrow I'm sure, since it's going to be warm again. :eek:

[Anikaca77]

Today we must have your swarm of the ladybugs they are everywhere here.


No woolly bears, but we had an absolute swarm of ladybugs at work yesterday!

One year, before the coldest winter in recent memory, I saw a woolly bear that was solid red! No black at all.

[Freedom]

Hadn't realized until you mentioned it, haven't seen a one! Oh no, what's that MEAN???? :eek:

Good thing I bought a snow suit for Marlin Darlin' last year, and the end of year closeouts! The other three can survive, but he will be toasty! ;)

[Medusa]

I haven't seen one wooly bear or ladybug this year. At my last house, the ladybugs were awful. They were all over the front of my house and it looked like the wall was moving. Someone told me that they weren't actual ladybugs but something else, though I can't recall what he said they were. Last year at this house it was earwigs that were giving me problems. Those things pinch plus they're ugly and freak me out!

[Genny]

What kind is that? The little fuzzy ones that are orange w/ black stripes??

[chocolatepuppy]

I've only seen three wooly bears this year, a white one and two black and rust. They look like my Jake.:D As for the 'orange' ladybugs, hadn't seen any until today because it warmed up. And yes they do bite!:rolleyes: Oh, I live in Ohio.

[Pinot's Mom]

OK, I went on line about the ladybugs...guess what-they're NOT native, they are asian and they were introduced by our own government to control Aphids. They have no natural enemies and they drive away the native ladybugs. :rolleyes:

[Twisterdog]

We don't have wooly bear caterpillars here, ever.

I love ladybugs! We have few of those, as well.

I HATE earwigs. Gross!

[chocolatepuppy]

OK, I went on line about the ladybugs...guess what-they're NOT native, they are asian and they were introduced by our own government to control Aphids. They have no natural enemies and they drive away the native ladybugs. :rolleyes:

I heard that before and I sure believe it because I hardly ever see a red ladybug anymore.:(

[sparks19]

HA... be glad you guys only have a lady bug infestation

no woolybears here... haven't seen any ever actually. but next year our friends are going to give us some of their catepillars that become Swallowtail butterflies so we can let hannah watch their transformation. that will be so much fun. I love catepillars ... only saw one this year but not sure what kind he was. we let him do his thing.

BUT... thos who are complaining about ladybugs... i will trade you :D for our STINKBUGS.

Oh yes.. that's right. STINKBUGS. they are disgusting and gross and we have TONS of them. they are gone for the winter... appear int he spring... disappear for the summer but are back for the fall. when it is decently warm outside they are in full force. and they squeeze through any CRACK they can find to get into your house.

we have had dozens and dozens of them in the house an OH YES... they STINK and NOTHING eats them

[pomtzu]

Yuk - stinky stink bugs.

One year they nested in the chimney of the fireplace (we didn't know this), and when we lit a fire for the first time of the season, they came dropping down by the dozens into the fire. Unfortunately, a lot of them made it thru the fire and went scurrying across the floor. A stink bug hunt is no fun at all! :eek:

[pomtzu]

Finally!!! I saw my first Wooly in the yard. He had a broad black band on one end, and a narrower one on the opposite end. Wonder what that means??? :confused:

[Asiel]

It means you aren't looking hard enough if you didn't see green ones....:D Honestly, we have more lime green ones than the rust coloured ones, they're actually very pretty and bigger than the rusty ones.
We were lucky this year, the summer was non existant so we saw very few ladybugs, I can't stand the way they get inside no matter what we do. This year has been terrific.
As for the stinky bugs I guess it's too cold out here, I've never heard of them

Now...back to that Martini.......:D

[Pinot's Mom]

http://www.cirrusimage.com/McCann/Loxa_flavicollis_1.jpg

Stink Bug. They are usually darker in our neck of the woods, more of a brownish color.

If it makes anyone feel any better, yesterday I was home from work and was swarmed with the Asian Ladybugs, Stink Bugs, Box Elder Bugs, as well as spiders. Only the Ladybugs (and lots of them, thank you) make it inside the house. It's all part of living where I do, you've got to take the good with the bad! Still no Wooly Bears, though, Ellie! :rolleyes:

[pomtzu]

I've never seen a green stink bug. They look more gray than brown to me - at least around here.

The Asian ladybugs weren't around yesterday - guess they made enough pests of themselves the day before. I'm still finding them in the house tho! :eek:

Any where there is a wooded area - expect to find just about any kind of bug. I've gotten used to it after almost 40 years here in the country.

[Asiel]

That's the same colour our huge fuzzy green caterpillars are. How can anything so pretty be called a stink bug?
Don't think we'll be having any more bugs of any kind, it's snowing again today and only 1 degree . With the north wind it feels more like -10 or more......brrrrr.
The only ones to enjoy this cold are the dogs, they can run all they want without panting up a storm from the heat.

[pomtzu]

OK, I went on line about the ladybugs...guess what-they're NOT native, they are asian and they were introduced by our own government to control Aphids. They have no natural enemies and they drive away the native ladybugs. :rolleyes:

Ick!!! They're back - in full force - inside and out. Today's warm weather brought them out again. I tried to sit outside for a few minutes with the pups - and they were in my hair and crawling all over me. They finally drove me back in the house. Geeze - I hate those darn things!!! :mad:

[Pinot's Mom]

I know, we were on the deck watching the game (don't TALK to me about that game!) and they were all around. We just ignored them; if they weren't in our wine, it was OK!;)

[chocolatepuppy]

Asian ladybugs are back here too, due to the warm weather. I haven't been bit by one this year yet, but then they're haven't been as many. Also, I saw a stink bug today, a brown one.