Our friends in Houston have started to see some fuzzy-looking caterpillars roaming around. However, these little creatures aren't just fun and fuzzy. They're actually venomous, and can be rather dangerous. Plus, Houston isn't that far. It's not too much of a stretch to say that we could probably see these things right here in our backyards.

According to Chron.com,

Asp caterpillars, or Megalopyge opercularis, are covered with hundreds of spiky needles that upon touching can cause severe allergic reactions, paralysis and sometimes, even death. Each reaction depends on the person, but usually, some sort of allergic reaction is caused.

The asp caterpillar looks similar to the caterpillar shown below:

puss-caterpillar
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Looks harmless enough, right? But it's not just some little harmless thing. It's actually quite painful. Even though it looks furry, each of those is a long, venomous spine that hurts if you come in contact with it.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is avoid these asp caterpillars at all costs. If your skin does happen to come into contact with one, there are some steps you can take to treat it. Take a piece of scotch tape and place it over the area where the sting is and pull it off. Do this several times to remove spines that may have become stuck. Then, apply ice to the area. If you do start to see an allergic reaction taking place, you should consult a doctor.

Again, the point I'm trying to make is simple. Avoid these caterpillars at all cost. As I'm sure you can already tell, they're bad news.

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