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Wholly Bear

It was gorgeous outside today. 60 degrees and sunny. The perfect Spring-is-coming day. Too bad that the temperature is going back below freezing on Thursday. But, let’s not think about that right now. Instead, let’s focus on all the warmth and sunshine. Spring is coming! After this unbelievably long, cold, nasty winter, spring will be here soon. If I say it often enough, think it’ll come true?

Another sign of spring? Caterpillars! We’ve had our share of caterpillars in this house. Remember, the Painted-Lady Butterfly creepy-crawlers? The boys called them Cornsyrup, Sockey, Frou-Frou, Blue, and Red. Or how about our stinky pals, Airplane and Space Shuttle, they who smelled of moldy, cheese-filled hockey socks when annoyed (which, with the boys pocking at them, was often!).

Yep. We are no strangers to six-legged, metamorphosing friends. So today, when I stumbled upon a little Wholly Bear (my favorite of all caterpillars!) in my still-bare herb garden, I couldn’t help but take him in. After all, the weather was getting colder again. The fuzzy bug would freeze, right? Besides, I was supposed to be helping Pierre put the garbage at the curb. Operation Save-A-Caterpillar trumped the trash.

I carefully picked Mr. Wholly up, and brought him home. The boys, especially Nicholas (who is my little naturalist – in so many ways), were thrilled. A new friend!! Nicholas wanted to love him right away. I gently placed Wholly in Nicholas’ outstretched palms, and warned him not to love his new friend too much, less he be squished with affection. The boys argued over a name. Ben said it should be Fire. Nicholas argued for Lava. They settled on Fire-Lava as a compromise.

In the meantime, I pulled our butterfly house out of the basement and filled it with leaves, sticks and a little kale (even caterpillars need super-foods). Nicholas and I put Lava in his new home. 

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When my mom called, I told her all about Lava, and our attempt to keep him warm.

“Wholly Bears don’t do well in captivity,” Grandma cautioned.

So, I got online and did a little caterpillar research. I found this from MyNature Apps:

“Do Not try to keep a Woolly Bear caterpillar in your house because you think it’s too cold out. Your disrupting Nature and interfering with the natural life cycle of the caterpillar.  Woolly Bears are designed to withstand the coldest winter. They produce their own antifreeze and nothing will happen to them if left outdoors. You may have good intentions but you are NOT HELPING the caterpillar at all and in fact you may be KILLING IT!”

Um, huh. Right. Interfering with nature? Guilty as charged. And Grandma was right (always listen to your mother). Lava, like other caterpillars before him, was about to be evicted. Now to break the news to Benjamin and Nicholas.

“Boys,” I said. “I’m really sorry, but Lava is going to have to go back outside. He belongs outside. He’s made for the cold, so we can’t keep him in the house. It wouldn’t be good for him.”

“Awwww,” the boys pouted in unison. Then, they went back to playing with stickers.

Not so attached then, I guess.

I placed Lava back in the herb garden and covered him with dried leaves, just in case.

Spring is only just coming. I am sure there will be more caterpillars coming with it.

xo Naomi   

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