Warning: This post may contain text and photos that some might find unsettling!
You know what hairy caterpillars are, right? Those caterpillars covered in fine hairs all over their bodies—the kind that make your skin itch if you touch them.
Now, imagine having a lot of them around you—ranging from small to large—in your yard, on the floor, and on the trees and plants.
Well, that is exactly what I’ve been dealing with at home this past week.
I can't quite recall when it all started. I was sweeping when I noticed a lot of small hairy caterpillars crawling all over the place.
I immediately grew suspicious. Was my home facing a caterpillar invasion?
Hairy caterpillars are troublesome pests. Sure, they become beautiful butterflies that aid in pollination, but during their caterpillar stage, they devour foliage and even certain types of flowers.
You see, my yard is full of trees, plants, and flowers. On top of that, there are four children involved: my daughter Ina, her younger sibling Ade, and my two nieces—the children of my younger sibling, who are looked after at my house while their parent works. My mother takes care of them.
My youngest niece, Naya, is only 16 months old and has just started walking on her own. She loves exploring the yard; sometimes she plays in the dirt or plucks leaves and even the flowers growing in the pots.
My biggest worry is that the kids might get itchy rashes after playing in the yard—all thanks to those caterpillars.
Fortunately, the children have all been safe so far.
I don't use pesticides on my plants because I’m concerned about the children's safety; they could easily come into contact with the chemicals while playing outside.
I always step on the caterpillars I come across, yet I still find them every single day. They are either crawling alone or in clusters with others of their kind.
This isn't the first time an outbreak of these hairy caterpillars has occurred; it happened months—or perhaps even years—ago as well. As I recall, it tends to happen during hot spells when there hasn't been rain for a long time.
I’m not sure if the weather affects their life cycle, causing them to multiply so rapidly.
Have you ever experienced something similar?
Cover image created using ChatGPT
Another images taken with my phone
