It seems the fall weather is coming earlier this year and many predict this will be a cold and snowy winter. I've already noticed the Red Maples in our area are changing colors and it seems we have more walnuts falling to the ground than we usually see on our farm.
I have also noticed that I have not seen any of the Woolly Bear Caterpillars I talk about below. Have you seen any of the reddish brown and black caterpillars? I am only seeing completely black caterpillars. What do you think that means?
Autumn 2013: It would be impossible not to notice how cold the weather has been this week in Northern Virginia and I started thinking about this post I wrote back in October.
Do you recognize this caterpillar?
Maybe you see them crawling quickly across the road or sidewalk this time of year. This is a Woolly Bear Caterpillar. They hatch from eggs in the fall and then they freeze- completely freeze- over the winter. In the Spring they slowly come back to life, make a cocoon, and then emerge as a Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella). Sometimes in very northern regions, the caterpillar can't find enough to eat in one short fall season and will wake and freeze over many winters- sometimes as many as 14 winters!
The Woolly Bear Caterpillar has two black ends and a brown middle. Legend tells us that looking at the size of the brown colored middle of the caterpillar can tell us how the coming winter will be- cold and long? Or short and mild? What do you think?
UPDATE January 24, 2014: Maybe there is truth to this legend! It looks like the middle section of the caterpillar in the picture is LONG which they say tells us the winter will be long and cold!
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