Beware of hairy yellow caterpillars with black spikes. They are American dagger moths that have have toxic properties when hairs are touched. One slight brush sent me to the ER with significant hives, elevated blood pressure, facial flushing, and chills.
I did some online research and learned that pets who innocently consume the caterpillars can also become ill enough to seek a vet's care. I am still afflicted with hives after three days and am dosing with Benedryl. One helpful hint is applying ice directly on hives and it has helped when topical cortisone and oral medications have fallen short relieving the itching.
You can Google search a photo and info about American Dagger moth and other toxic hairy caterpillars all over the US. I also found many other home remedies for hives.
By Kathy from Western PA
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I had one right next to my front door today. Glad I told the kids not to touch it. The black spikes through me of. And it was yellow. Most creatures with those type of colors use that as a way to get prey or defense.
I think they only cause hives/rash if you are allergic to them. As you would theoretically only know if you are allergic by handling them, it is probably better to avoid them. We have them all over the place near the Pittsburgh area, and I know dozens of people who have handled them with no issues, kids and adults. I only know of one person who experienced very minor redness and irritation after touching one for a long period of time (several minutes).
Glad to hear you found remedies for your hives!!
I found one crawling along and I picked it up a FEW hours later my hand swelled up and on MY other wrist 20 oozing pimples and hives on MY leg about the size of a half dollar and MY side as well, I tried to STOP it from falling and I held it against MY t-shirt and I have stings went through MY shirt, NOW on to the next day, MY hand swelled even more and it's BURNING and numb at the same time the hives have gotten more itchy BURNING type of FEEL so I suggest you keep kids away from THEM because in kids eyes brighte yellow they will for sure want it
I found one of these caterpillars on our back porch yesterday. It had the long fuzzy yellow hair and black spikes. I also noticed it had a black shiny head with two tiny white dots which resembled eyes although I am not sure if that is actually what they were. I did not touch it but took several pictures. Years ago my then two year old little girl played with a large fuzzy light yellow caterpillar for quite a while. Then she came to me saying her hands itched.
Had one crawl up my pant leg today while sitting in a park. I heard they were poisonous so I used my pocket life to lift it off my pant leg and placed it back on the ground. About 20 minutes later while I was sitting there talking with a friend I felt stinging sensations like when a biting fly gets you on my shoulder and neck. My buddy said that catapillar was on my back of my shirt.
I've read the comments and just want to add that where on the body that they attach to may make a difference. Yesterday i felt a sensation on side of my face and casually brushed my hand. Turns out the sensation was a spiny yellow caterpillar that made contact with my eye when I moved my hand. I was able to get the prickly spines off my skin by applying tape and pulling it off like is done with waxing for hair removal.
Use tape on affected area to remove stingers. Worked like a charm for me.
I came into contact with one yesterday. I am located in Brentwood Missouri. Apparently it fell out of tree I was sitting under. I was not aware this was on me until I felt a sting under my left upper arm. My instant reaction was to swat where I felt the sting. When I swat under my arm, this flew onto the ground. It felt more like when you touch a cactus with the pins and needles kind of pain at first.
Holy Cow! Never knew that and am glad you will be okay! Thanks for the heads up!
You mentioned you had found home remedies for hives? Please share! :)
I have been finding them on my deck but cant tell where they are coming from.
Most likely living in/on the trees and going to your yard/porch
They are common on the east cost so maybe that is where
I live in Billings Montana & have a lot of them in my front yard where I have a large maple tree. I left my hunting boots on my front steps overnight & had one in each boot this morning. Now my toes are stinging like I stepped on cactus. I put After Bite cream on them & that helped a lot. Obviously, don't leave boots or shoes out when they're around. I guess they thought they were big stinky cartoons & were saving themselves the trouble of making there own
Oddly enough, most of the research I was able to find did not mention this caterpillar's toxicity. Just that they are voracious eaters of many deciduous tree leaves. Are you absolutely certain that you may not have gotten hives from another source? I am mostly concerned because I am currently finding these caterpillars all the time in and around my garage. I have two large maple trees in my front yard that are most likely the place they're coming from. We have moved them from the garage to the outdoors with bare hands and have not yet experienced any allergic reactions.
My son came into contact with this caterpillar and has hives/rash going from his stomach to his one knee and had to go to the hospital. Benadryl and a cream is what he has been given. Hope this helps anyone.
What type of cream?
I know this question was posed a long time ago but if you still havent found an answer, here it is. The Dagger Moth caterpillar is not very toxic. It causes mild skin irritation and a rash on someone with sensitive skin. Maybe that person was somehow allergic to it and that's why they got hives but generally to a large population of people out there it's not really going to bother them that much.
Hey guys today I thought I would do a project and take a caterpillar in my house and see if it would turn into a butterfly I have touched this multiple times and now Im afraid that Im gonna get very sick
I just had one crawling on me and I thought I was stuck with a hundred needles it hurt like hell. I took 2 showers and it still hurt a little
Glad I googled this caterpillar! Came across one of these on a sidewalk in north central Iowa. Have never seen one before.
I was just stroking one today I didn't know it was poisonous it just crawled on me like I was a tree it didn't bitbpr do anything predatorial
I found one yesterday while mowing here in Oklahoma, brought it home to identify/watch cocoon and emerge, and today my middle finger is sooooo itchy!
I have one in my. Sunroom. Up. In. Northern Ohio.
I came in contact with one today in Northwest Ohio. He left a hair in my arm and it stings but other than thay I haven't noticed any bad sidr effects. Will keep posted. I'm also pregnant so if I start to have any symptoms at all I will be taking myself to the ER
I am covered in hives and a rash after coming in contact with if
Wow! I just found one in my backyard and took a ton of pics and videos of it! Im glad i didnt touch it!! Thanks for letting people know!
I found one is my backyard and almost touched it but I realized it had fur and thought it may be poisonous, and my dogs were not out at the time but my dog prolly would have eaten it because it is easy to spot.
Thanks for all the info, I have one on my window ledge as we speak. Thankfully I had the sense not to touch it. So beautiful though. I'll be caustious to keep my little dog away.
Scary. I caught one (thankfully without touching it) and I am keeping with me until it "blooms" or turns into a moth. Thanks for the advise and when I release it I will make sure not to touch it.
Thank you for this helpful information! There are some of these in our sub in Plymouth, Michigan.
Thanks! Looking at one right now. Also in W. PA. I know not to touch ones with spikes, but i wanted to ID it and educate my daughter about being careful.
Just so you know, the part where you said that you think you have to be allergic is wrong.
I am in Peterborough Ontario Canada and found this caterpillar on my way home today
Im in Wisconsin and found one on my porch I didnt touch it because off the spikes !!!
I had one crawl into my shirt. It really tore me up. Couldnt figure out what was stinging me.
In my yard in Toronto this summer.
Also in Toronto. Crawled onto my arm and into my tshirt sleeve without me noticing. Then I felt something and thought it was the fabric and wind so ignored it. Felt something again figured it was a bug, smacked my shirt - then nothing for a while, then again near my neck I thought is that the label of the shirt? Then I turned the collar and plucked what I thought was a big label at first glance but turned out to be a big caterpillar (which from image comparison turned out to be an American Dagger Moth). Now I have a trail of hives/welts on my arm and front and back where the caterpillar had been (luckily it was crawling on the inside of the shirt but it still made contact in several areas). In each hive on my arm there was a little hair from the caterpillar sticking out. I thought it was my hairs maybe but it had no feeling and took no effort to pluck them out. I saw a tip to use a piece of tape to remove them. So far after roughly 12 hours I just have the skin reaction and none of the other reported possible symptoms so I'm hoping after 2 weeks (that I read someone else had the skin reaction for) I'll be back to normal. What a downer lol
We live near Goderich in Ontario Canada and have been seeing them in our backyard this past week. So far we've seen 6. All different sizes. Making sure our daughter doesnt touch them.
i found one of these caterpillars on my maple tree and took it to the driveway on a leaf, and squished it with a rock...some of the juice hit my thumb and the edge of my eyelid....am i in trouble
I must have tough skin LOL... I have handled both the Yellow and the white daggger moth caterpillars over the years, and never had any reaction... although when I think about it, I didn't pet their soft fuzzy fur or their black spikes, but just let them walk on my hand. I think the toxins are in the the fur and particularly the spikes, but not their feet... I noticed there was one other person who earlier commented that they didn't have any reaction to handling them either, and I do think some people have more sensitive skin. It's certainly wise to be cautious!!! By the way, I live in Long Island, NY, and grew up summering in Cape May Point, NJ, where I first noticed these caterpillars. :-)
I just found one of those caterpillars at the base of my grandsons little playset.
I have googled it and found conflicting information. I did remove it and have took pictures to show my daughter and son inlaw.
Thank you for all your comments cause with the information shared here I am not taking any chances of my grandson getting poisoned.
We are in Shelburne Ontario.
I had one yesterday crawling on my porch 7-23-19 and I fling him into the yard and then my husband cut the grass I am hoping he ran over it. I do have tomatoe plants planted around the area but did not see any more on them and have not seen anymore any where. I do have a young dog and I was afraid she would try to eat it but as far as I know she did not. Is there anything else you can do with them if I see another one? Thanks
I found one of these caterpillars on the front porch today. I think I saw the same caterpillar on the siding of the house a few days ago. I didn't touch it or kill it, I just took a picture of it and let it be.
Anyones pet ever bit one or picked it up in its mouth? My dog just did today. Freaked me out
My Fiancé was just fixing a bike and one fell outta the tree on him and it stung him like all up his back and neck and he has little burning welts all over!! Those things are Creepy and Evil!!!
Found an American Dagger Moth yesterday beginning to crawl into our garage. We have a large Maple tree in the front yard. I grabbed a stick to pick it up and when I came back, my 6 year old daughter had already scooped it up into her little palm. We made a sanctuary for it and spent the evening naming it and watching it do its thing. I put my daughter to bed and a few hours later she was complaining about having a slight tummy ache. 3 hours later she woke up crying and complaining her body itched. I ended up taking her to the emergency room because she had hives and rashes over 70% of her body and face. Oral Steriod and Benadryl with topical cream is our remedy. Day 1
We have a dead one on our deck today, must have fallen from our Maple tree...in West Michigan.
I have these all over my property. They have these black stingers on the front and the back of it with yellow hair. I saw my dog stiffing something and then shaking his head as if he got stung. When I went over to see what he was doing I noticed he was sniffing at this same kind of caterpillar. I hope he is going to be ok.
From Maryland and I found one today, got curious and took pics. It did crawl a little on m
Ive had an unidentifiable rash on tops of both wrists and some around neck area! Flushing of my face and off n on chills!
Glad to know what couldve caused it. Cut back some rhododendrons and other bushes recently and carried brush to back yard!
I accidentally touched one( but not by the yellow fuzz)
I washed my hands afterwards but will touching the underbelly effect me or am I K.O.?
My daughter noticed this caterpillar on my shirt and told me they were poison. I felt a little itchy on my arm but I thought it was all in my head. The next day I was itching bad so I looked and seen a large rash in my armpit, down my side and around my back. It was on my shirt, not my skin! It itches so bad!
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