A Time to Live
Melody Hendrix
1. If the caterpillar is on the skin, remove it without using your hands!Gently put tape over the exposed area, sticky side down. (Any kind of tape will do.)
2. Pull up the tape, removing the hairs or spines.
3. Repeat with fresh pieces of tape as often as needed to treat the area involved.
4. Wash the area gently with soap and water.
5. If the area itches, put on a paste of baking soda and water.
Use ice pack to reduce swelling.6. If that doesn’t help, try Zanfel Benadryl or a hydrocortisone cream.
7. If that doesn’t help, try an antihistamine cream. That shouldn’t be the first choice, as it doesn’t always help. Also, some people have skin reactions to these creams.
8. If the area is badly blistered, contact your health provider.
9. Call your health provider about a tetanus booster if your shots are not up to date.
The southern flannel moth, Megalopyge opercularis is an attractive small moth that is best-known because of its larva, the puss caterpillar, which is one of the most venomous caterpillars in the United States. The southern flannel moth (puss caterpillar) is found from New Jersey to Florida and west to Arkansas and Texas. It is common in Florida but reaches its greatest abundance in Texas from Dallas southward in the western central part of the state. Found on Oaks and citrus.
The adult buck moths have a flight period that occurs between October and November. as late as December in Florida. The adults are active during the day and are very quick fliers, and can be found flying most commonly between noon and 2:00 pm in oak forests during sunny weather
Lo Moth found on Ixora and rose. Adult moths are strictly nocturnal, flying generally only during the first few hours of the night.
Saddleback caterpillar and moth. Host plants are many plants, vegetables, flowers, citrus, maples, oaks, and blueberries.
Please join me next week. We will look at the Hairstreak butterflies.
Old Things R New 
lovely post though scary. Our daughter had an encounter when she was a child with a saddleback. She was holding it in her hand. The encounter was quite painful. It’s good to know that such things exist in advance.
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