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A ‘hairy’ situation: Virginia officials warn of venomous pus caterpillar

Because 2020 just keeps getting worse, here’s another notch in the year’s belt of horrors.

The Virginia Department of Forestry is warning people about reports of the puss caterpillar in a few eastern counties.

The “hairs” of the fuzzy fiend are venomous spines that cause a painful reaction if touched, according to VDOF, who say the caterpillars eat oak and elm leaves, but can be found in parks or near structures.

“If you find the caterpillar, leave it alone and let its natural enemies control their populations — there are a number of other insects that will prey on them at different stages of their life cycle,” the agency said in a Facebook post.

Thanks, nature.

#SocialDistance away from this caterpillar! VDOF’s forest health team has received reports of the puss caterpillar in…

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Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½, he worked for CBS ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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