For winter forecast, ask a woolly worm
November 6, 2007
Predicting the coming winter by reading the fur of woolly worms (or woolly bears) is an age-old practice; but is there any fact behind the claims?
Woolly worms are really caterpillars, the larvae of tiger moths. We see them strolling around this time of year, because they are leaving their food sources, such as grass and dandelions, and are hunting for safe hibernation spots to spend the winter. Some choice locations are under logs and big rocks. When spring arrives, they catch a bite to eat and then create cocoons. About two weeks later, they turn into tiger moths.
Woolly worms’ bodies have 13 portions. Some people think each portion relates to a week in winter—and with good reason. These furry forecasters are correct about 85% of the time.
The black caterpillars sport a brownish-orange band around their middles. The wider the brown band, supposedly, the milder the winter. The saying goes “More brown than black means a gentle winter. More black than brown means a harsh winter.”
Spoiling the fun.
Some scientists claim the size of the caterpillar’s middle brown band relates to how much the caterpillar has eaten during the summer. They say the band is more of an indicator of past season’s plant growth rather than a prediction of the upcoming winter.
What do local woolly worms say about our upcoming winter?
The sccworlds.com van has yielded to quite a few pedestrian woolly worms recently. They all seem to be mostly black, thus indicating a harsh upcoming winter.
Since it would be fun to catch a photo of a woolly worm and inspect each of his 13 sections to determine if his predictions come true, we are keeping our eyes open for photo opportunities. You can, too! If you happen to see a woolly worm, snap his photo and e-mail it to contact@sccworlds.com. We will post the woolly worm’s photo and track his predictions all winter long.
*Warning—The fur of the woolly worm has been known to “sting” and give people severe reactions when touched. Please, do not touch a woolly worm.
More woolly worm fun.
Visit www.woollyworm.com. This site posts the winner of an annual woolly worm race. The winning caterpillar officially determines the community’s winter forecast.
Copyright 2007 Neighbors About Town
Woolly worms can be found near trees like these along Bent Oak Cutoff in Lake St. Louis.