Did you know that caterpillars can sting?
I didn’t until it happened to me.
It HURTS. It was worse than the time I got stung by a jellyfish. (Except, in this case, urine did nothing to ease the pain!)
Richie and I were sitting under the sycamore tree when I felt something crawling on my neck. I flicked my hand and tried to swat whatever it was away. It was just a caterpillar.
Just a caterpillar? I will never think those words again.
The caterpillar turned out to be a Sycamore Tussock Moth. Little did I know that these cute fuzzy creatures can actually cause hives and other skin reactions.
I had seen these caterpillars hundreds of times and not once had I had an issue with them.
Somehow I touched this one just right and I was plagued with the most painful, burning, itching rash for the next week.
Within minutes of being stung:
About 1 hour after being stung:
The next morning:
This happened back in July, but I have seen a lot of these caterpillars lately. Be careful when you are sitting outside. This was SO painful!
If you do get a caterpillar on you, use a stick or piece of paper to carefully lift it off rather than swiping at it. If you get stung, use tape to remove the stingers. I used a Benedryl cream to help with the itch and sting. It took a little over a week to heal completely.
