Puss Caterpillar Control in Leon Springs and The Dominion
In Leon Springs and The Dominion, people usually meet a puss caterpillar, or asp, as a small teardrop of soft-looking fur on a tree trunk, a fence, a wall or a patio chair under an oak. It looks touchable and isn't: venom spines are hidden in that hair. Don't brush it off with bare hands, keep kids clear, and if someone is stung, use tape to pull out spines and then ice.
For help with caterpillars on or around the house, ring or text (210) 281-1064, or use the website's booking page.
A tuft of fur that stings #
AgriLife's Insects in the City describes asps as teardrop-shaped and covered in long, silky hair, looking like a tuft of cotton or fur. Full-grown ones measure an inch or a little more, up to 1 1/2, in shades from yellow and gray to rusty brown. Under that coat are venomous spines that break off in skin. The adult is the southern flannel moth.
B-6118 adds a detail many people miss: even dead caterpillars, and the cocoons they spin, can cause a reaction.
Oak shade around Leon Springs homes #
Asps feed on host trees, and AgriLife names oaks, pecan, elm and hackberry, plus dwarf yaupon and other shrubs; the B-6118 bulletin also lists holly and palms.
Hardwoods are part of the setting here. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the Golden-cheeked Warbler nests only in mixed Ashe juniper and hardwood woodland, and Friedrich Wilderness Park, close to Leon Springs, holds nesting sites for that warbler. In ZIP 78255, Census figures show 87.3% of homes are detached single-family houses, each with its own yard, and AgriLife's advice not to sit beneath host trees applies to any patio one shades.
A Texas DSHS study of poison center calls found 91% of asp stings took place where the person lived.
July, then October and November #
AgriLife's Mike Merchant explains that the flannel moths appear around the turn from spring to summer, each female leaving a few hundred eggs on a favored tree. Texas gets one or two broods a year, with fall usually the heavier one. Over winter they wait as pupae inside cocoons stuck to trunks and limbs.
The DSHS review covered 3,484 sting reports to Texas poison centers between 2000 and 2016. July accounted for 12% of them; October and November together, 59%. Fall yard work under oaks deserves gloves.
First aid that actually helps #
Wizzie Brown at AgriLife recommends:
- Flick the caterpillar away at once, if possible.
- Lay a strip of tape over the area and lift it to remove leftover spines.
- Hold ice on the spot.
- An oral antihistamine can ease the itch and burn.
Pain is intense and comes on within about five minutes, then usually fades within an hour, according to Insects in the City. B-6118 says a rash can hang on for hours or days. DSHS found 89% of reported cases were managed without a healthcare visit, and 93% had no more than minor effects.
See a doctor at once for widespread itching, trouble breathing or other allergic signs. Any contact with an eye goes straight to a specialist. The Poison Center is 1-800-222-1222.
Our license stops at the tree #
Pest Trappers is licensed in Texas for general pest and termite work, not the lawn and ornamental category required to spray trees and shrubs, so we don't spray trees. AgriLife adds that asps seldom seriously damage a tree, so there's no need to spray one in a panic.
What helps around the home:
- Wear gloves, long sleeves and pants for yard work under host trees.
- Don't sit right under trees where caterpillars could drop.
- Teach kids that these fuzzy caterpillars look soft but sting; AgriLife says education may be the most useful step on playgrounds.
- Don't touch dead caterpillars or cocoons.
For the giant wasps that hunt cicadas in those same trees, see our cicada killer page for this area.
What a Pest Trappers visit for asps covers in Leon Springs and The Dominion #
A technician checks the house itself: walls, eaves, doors, porch furniture and other structures where caterpillars crawl, and gives you plain advice on the trees around them. If treatment on the structure is warranted, the technician explains the options and applies any product according to its label; for tree spraying, we'll tell you it's outside our license. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned, and Travis Lambert is the certified applicator. Pricing follows the inspection, and the office confirms your visit. Our puss caterpillar guide has more, and the Leon Springs and The Dominion page lists other local pests.