Wooly worms and winter weather

[Pulsegleaner]

They are; they are another species of Isabelline moth. Technically, milkweed tussock moths look like wooly bears too albeit punk ones with Mohawk jobs dyed bright orange which I find reinforces the note to not touch them (those hairs are extremely irritating and can cause a really nasty rash; far nastier than a wooly bear can (wooly bears don't cause me a rash, but I understand there are more sensitive people whom they do.)

 

[bobm]

It could be that an ice age is coming starting this winter, considering the confusion regarding the wooly bears' coloration or species mis - identification !

 

[Smart Red]

Another ice age? No, please!

Although, once we get the geo-thermal system in I might not care so much.

 

[Carol Dee]

I saw a wooly bear in the driveway today. I was too lazy to go back to the house to get camera so tried a phone photo. It isn't very good. Anyway..... It was about 1/2 & 1/2 ... whatever that means.

 

[Smart Red]

Half and half is not bad. It is when the ww is mostly black that we need(?) worry.
Acorn and walnut harvest around here has been greater than in many past years. Another sign of a bad winter -- lots of food for the critters.

 

[flowerweaver]

I've never seen one down here. All the various ants here are exceedingly busy so they seem to be preparing for something. I don't doubt they know what's up. In 2002 and 2004 we experienced 500-year floods after a 25" and 27" rainfall within 24 hours, respectively. The night before each I found giant slugs in my kitchen. Old timers confirmed they would see snails climbing up barns the day before big rains and floods. It's good to learn to 'read' nature--as people surely once did--for their weather report.

 

[Smart Red]

@flowerweaver, it that a pet hummer in your avatar?

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

Part of the issue is that there are several different species of moth with wooly bear like larvae and they vary a LOT in coat color and pattern. For example the only Wooly Bear I have seen so far this year had fur that was more or less dead WHITE (maybe very, very pale blonde) What does that mean, a winter so bad that the area will freeze solid? What it actually means is "wrong species try again."

I'm generally aware of what species that we're referring to when I say "wooly bear" (same as shown in Red's pic). We do have a different species that my sister and parents will bring to me and say "look what I found, a wooly bear." It is a whole lot larger than the usual wool bears, completely black (except for a tinge of occasional red at the base of the hairs were they attach to the body), and the larvae seem to like to hang around forest edges. Still haven't figured out exactly what they are.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I called them wooly bears too growing up in East Tennessee. Haven't heard that in a long time though.

I'll use persimmon seeds for my predictions. If you carefully shave a slick hard seed (keep band aids handy) you will see either a spoon, knife, or fork. A spoon means you will be shoveling a lot of snow. A knife means it will be cold, the wind will cut through you like a knife. A fork means a mild winter, not too cold or too much snow. I can't remember the symbolism for the fork, just that it is a mild winter.

I'll occasionally look at the size of acorn caps (bigger and thicker mean colder winter) and how much skin a locally-grown onion has on it (more skin means colder winter). Also can't deny how smart the wildlife is (are?) - a lot of squirrels out earlier in the year looking for food can usually be taken as a sign of a worse winter, etc.

Been a while since I've had a good, ripe persimmon. The ones sold at the supermarket aren't completely ripe so have much of their "puckeriness" left to them, that and they're usually very bruised with some bug damage.

 

[flowerweaver]

@Smart Red it is one of many wild things I have befriended over the years. Animals are not afraid of me, it is a gift. Some people call me an animal whisperer. In the spring I go through a couple gallons of syrup each day. These are mostly Black Chins, which nest on my farm, and occasionally Ruby Throats. They flew south a couple weeks ago, and hopefully will return next March.

Here are a couple of links to videos where you can experience them as I do. Make sure your sound is turned up so you can hear their wings and voices!
https://flic.kr/p/mQeD8N
https://flic.kr/p/mQf3QX