UKC

It seems it's that time of year again, the caterpillars are out and about on Portland!

I saw one or two last weekend but this week a friend said they were everywhere, she's ended up with a rash in various places.

They are small and hairy, if you see one on your clothes try not to use your hand to brush it off as the hairs will transfer to your hand and then onto whatever you touch next. The rash is really itchy and in my experience lasts up to two weeks!

Hopefully they will be gone within a couple of weeks but it's worth being vigilant until then.

Applying Calamine lotion should ease the rash.

I got this rash the first time I went to Portland and had no idea about the caterpillars. I got it on my lower back just above my waist. After a process of elimination where I washed my t-shirt, fleece and harness and the rash kept coming back, I worked out the hairs or whatever causes the rash were still on my chalkbag strap!

Applying sellotape to the area, then pulling it off (like a plaster) works quite well for removing hairs.

Blimey. Didn't realise the hairy critters (the caterpillars, not Portlanders) would be about this early in the year. I seem to remember they are more of a problem on hot, still June/July afternoons (but I'm getting old and my memory isn't as good as it used to be (I think).

You're not wrong, if you search back through old threads,  this topic seems to be posted about either in april/may or in August, so perhaps there are two seasons

What colour are they?

Brown tailed moth caterpillar. Brown/white and very hairy. You cant miss them when they are out in force.

Seems they are a recurring problem on the south coast.

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/15528624.___The_best_time_to_deal_with_the...

Do rabbits eat them?