Beware of Caterpillars

They’re baaaaack. And we’re not talking about the shiny yellow ones Special K loves so much. The other ones: the small hairy wiggly ones dangling from the trees.
I went for a bike ride last night through the Birchwood trails - which up until yesterday I was so fond of - until I saw this little creep hanging in a tree. Sure, one in a tree is no big deal to most people, but if you were here in 2007/2008 this sight would make you nervous too. Every 10-15 years or so there is an infestation of Tent Caterpillar’s up here, and it is absolutely nasty. I was here visiting Special K in the summer of 2008 and there were caterpillars everywhere; in trees, on cars, and crawling all over sidewalks and buildings. Special K had to hose down his house with pesticide to get them off. Plus, they eat everything in their path so most of the trees had no leaves left by the end of the summer. If you don’t already have the hibijeebee’s, click here for a better idea of what it was like.
So now you understand my fear of one little caterpillar! But then, to make matters worse, on the way home I rode through a small web of them that must have been stretched across the trail and almost crashed my bike trying to get them off of me. I’m just glad I was wearing a hat and earphones! There were only a few, so it’s probably not a sign of an infestation, but just to be safe I probably won’t be riding my bike through the forest anymore! Or if I do, I’m going to need a HazMat suit!