Ontario Got That Caterpillar Drip 🐛💥
Parts of Ontario dealing with tent caterpillar explosion. Ontario's northeast is low-key swimming in tent caterpillars rn. Population be boomin' every decade, but the usual predators ain't doin' their job. They're munchin' leaves, but don't stress, trees bounce back. They harmless tho, so chill.
TL:DR
Ontario's northeast is low-key swimming in tent caterpillars rn. Population be boomin' every decade, but the usual predators ain't doin' their job. They're munchin' leaves, but don't stress, trees bounce back. They harmless tho, so chill.
The Deets
Yo, fam! Ontario's northeast, like Sudbury and stuff, is straight-up vibing with a tent caterpillar explosion. Like, these lil' dudes are everywhere. Apparently, this happens roughly every ten years; it's a whole cycle thing.
So, what's the tea? Usually, predators and diseases keep the caterpillar population in check. But this year, they slackin'. These caterpillars pop out between April and June, chow down on trees for like, a month and a half, then they morph into moths. Bet you didn't see that comin'. BTW, the caterpillars in northeastern Ontario are not those tent-making types. So no tents, just caterpillars.
And it's not just Ontario. Quebec had some roads gettin' wild in '24, and Vancouver Island was dealing with this in '23. But here's the good news: Even when these outbreaks happen, most trees can handle it. They might look a little bare for a bit, but they usually bounce back.
Also, chill out, they are harmless; no cap. They're not toxic, they ain't invasive, and they defo ain't gonna bite you. So, if you see one, just give it a wave and move on. Peace!
Abbreviations Glossary
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
|---|---|
| rn | Right Now |
| Low-key | Kinda, a little bit |
| Boomin' | Rapidly increasing |
| What's the tea? | What's the gossip/details? |
| Morph | Transform |
| Defo | Definitely |