Infestation

             Tent caterpillars on the railing outside my apartment.
Hey Timon and Pumbaa, come on over to Minnesota! We've got lots of yummy grub!


Caterpillar attack! They are EVERYWHERE; in the trees, on Science Building floors, on the sidewalk (alive as well as smashed corpses), in the grass, on railings, on posts, in stairwells, just anywhere you can think of.  A week ago, they spun webs and were hanging from all the trees around my apartment. As they hung there, they would all sway in the breeze like ribbons hanging from a doorway, except a lot creepier. After walking under the trees, I could feel their invisible silk on my arms and face. Yuck! and I unknowingly brought them into my apartment. One morning I was making my bed and as I lifted up the sheet, I saw one happily crawling around. AH! Had I slept with the thing? Was it in my hair and been carried inside? What if I had smushed it on accident and it's guts had gotten all over my bedding? Ewww.

 

Although they freak me out, they do have quite beautiful markings. They turn into some brown shabby moth though. Go figure.

I wonder what species will have a good sized population next year because of all the yummy grub around. Bats? Spiders? Birds?