Summer is right around the corner and you know what that means! Warm weather, hitting the pool, eating lots of ice cream, and oh yeah.....bugs. Every year when the weather warms up, the bugs come out to play- and this year already has been no exception from "seed ticks" to dangerous "kissing" bugs. The latest creatures that are triggering serious skin irritations are these very hungry caterpillars. Gypsy moth caterpillars are known for harming trees, but some recent incidents in Massachussets prove that these pests can cause some serious skin irritation. The red or white bumps appear on the skin after coming into coming into direct contact with the critters, and can last up to two weeks. While it's not too serious, they can cause annoying itchiness, similar to poison ivy.
One mother told Boston 25 News, that she put her arms on the fence to watch her son's baseball game and noticed red bumps all over her arms once she got home, without even seeing the caterpillar! The last time there has been a major gypsy moth caterpillar outbreak in the United States was in the 1980s.
Try and stay as far away as possible from these seemingly cute bugs, as their hair is what causes the rash on skin.