ROCKPORT, Tx — The cities pest control unit continues its pesticide spraying for the prevention and removal of woolly worms.
The director of Public Works told KRIS 6 News this year’s infestation is worse than before.
“Evidently it is a problem here,” Rockport resident Ron Coon said.
Coon has seen woolly worms at his home in Rockport, but not at Memorial Park where he rides his bike and walks his dog.
“When they do spray, the next day they put signs up in the baseball fields and soccer fields saying, sprayed, stay away,” Coon said.
Neighbors in Aransas Pass are also facing the same bug problem. Residents like Deborah Saski know to stay away.
“I had one fall down my neck once and down my back. I had hives all on the side of my neck and on my back,” Saski said.
Texas A&M AgriLife lists two common species of woollybear caterpillars found in Texas, including the saltmarsh caterpillar and the garden tiger moth caterpillar.
“You will find them, especially around the oaks,” Saski said.
On Wilson Avenue in Aransas Pass, there’s cocoons of woolly worms left behind on fences and homes.
Texas A&M Agrilife told KRIS 6 News that this is the cocoon of a white-marked tussock moth species and while these caterpillars are a nuisance, they pose no harm to the oaks.
“They form cocoons in the grooves of the trees, and they hatch and become caterpillars and they can sting whoever is playing here at the park,” Public Works Director David Flores said.
Aransas Pass Public Works has sprayed the majority of its parks to keep those creepy crawlers away.
“We have 255 trees within our 3 parks. We treat each individual tree to prevent these cocoons from forming in the grooves of these trees,” Flores said.
Texas A&M Agrilife reminded people that while there are many species of woolly worms. If you aren’t 100% sure what an insect is, it’s best not to touch it with your bare hands.
