Puss Caterpillar / Asp Control in Fair Oaks Ranch, TX
In Fair Oaks Ranch, puss caterpillars, called asps in Texas, usually come to attention in the fall, either spotted as a teardrop-shaped tuft of tan or gray "fur" on an oak leaf, a railing or a tree trunk, or discovered the hard way when someone brushes against one. That soft-looking hair hides venomous spines. Don't touch it, teach the kids to leave fuzzy caterpillars alone, and if someone is stung, get the spines out and ice the spot.
If asps keep turning up around your patio, play area or doors, phone or text (210) 281-1064, or ask for a visit online.
A fuzzy caterpillar that isn't for touching #
The asp is the larva of the southern flannel moth. Insects in the City pictures a teardrop of long, silky hair, something like a cotton ball or a scrap of fur, reaching an inch to an inch and a half at maturity and colored anywhere from yellow or gray to a rusty brown (ENT-3010). The venomous spines sit beneath that hair.
AgriLife's B-6118 warns that even dead larvae and pupae can cause a reaction, so don't pick up a dried caterpillar or a cocoon with bare hands.
Oak country and the trimming calendar #
Oaks top the asp's menu. Insects in the City lists oaks, pecan, elm and hackberry among host trees, along with dwarf yaupon and other shrubs, and B-6118 adds palms and holly.
Fair Oaks Ranch pays close attention to its oaks. Live oaks are the tree most often infected by oak wilt, and the city allows oak trimming only from July 1 through January 31 (city website). That window lines up with asp season. When a Texas DSHS researcher reviewed poison center reports from 2000 through 2016, July held 12% of asp stings, and October plus November together held 59% (<a href="https://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/efetch.fcgi?db=pubmed&id=29625901&rettype=abstract&retmode=text">DSHS study).
So when you or a crew trim oaks in late summer or fall:
- Cover up with gloves, long sleeves and full-length pants.
- Look over the leaves and branches you'll be handling.
- Remember that cocoons overwinter on the trunk and branches of host trees, and those can still sting during winter pruning.
- Don't sit under trees where caterpillars may drop.
Why your own yard is where stings happen #
The DSHS review also showed that 91% of those stings took place where the person lived. In Fair Oaks Ranch, Census figures show 97.4% of homes are detached single-family houses, each with its own yard. In other words, the place to watch is your backyard, your front walk and anything that sits under a host tree.
Stung? First aid that works #
AgriLife's steps (AgriLife Today):
- Flick the caterpillar off immediately, if possible.
- Lay a strip of tape over the area and lift it away to collect stray spines.
- Hold an ice pack on the spot.
- An oral antihistamine can ease the itching and burning.
Intense, throbbing pain starts immediately or within five minutes. Insects in the City says the pain usually subsides inside an hour, with the skin marks gone after about a day. Some people get headache, nausea or vomiting, and a rash may last hours or days.
Itching all over the body or labored breathing means seeing a physician without delay, and spines in an eye need an eye specialist at once. Poison Center: 1-800-222-1222. For perspective, the DSHS study counted 3,484 reported stings over 17 years, and 93% had no effects or only minor ones.
What we can do, and what we can't #
Asps feed on trees and shrubs, and in Texas, treating trees and shrubs belongs to the lawn and ornamental license category. Our license doesn't include it, so your oaks won't be sprayed by us. AgriLife also points out that asps rarely do serious damage to trees, so spraying trees out of fear isn't recommended.
What we can do is inspect your home, patio and outbuildings, identify what you're seeing, and treat structures where caterpillars are crawling onto walls and railings, following the product label. If a tree over a play area is heavily infested, we'll tell you that tree work requires a company holding that other license.
How Pest Trappers handles asps in Fair Oaks Ranch #
You'll get an honest read on the situation: what's an asp and what isn't, where the caterpillars are coming from, and which parts of the problem we can treat. Pricing follows the inspection, and the office confirms the visit time. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned and licensed by TDA in the general pest and termite categories.
More detail is in the puss caterpillar guide, and the Fair Oaks Ranch page covers other local pests.