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!!

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??? (just kidding)!!!

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.

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. 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. 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!!!
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!

[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.

[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????

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??