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How to Raise Wooly Bear Caterpillars

The wooly bear, the caterpillar stage of the Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia isabella), is widespread across North America and easy to identify, collect and rear. It eats a wide variety of common weeds including dandelions and plantain. These banded caterpillars are covered with short, stiff bristles of soft hair. When touched, the woolies curl into a ball. Typically, the bands are a characteristic black, brown and orange, giving it a distinctive striped appearance. The wooly bear is often mentioned in folklore claiming the longer its black band, the longer and more severe will be the coming winter.

Things You'll Need

Plastic container
Screen house
Feeding plants
Soil and peat moss

Instructions

- 1
  Collect the wooly bear caterpillars in late summer and early autumn when they are most active.
- 2
  Place the woolies in a screened container that has 2 to 3 inches of soil and peat moss.
- 3
  Feed caterpillars with plant leaves such as the plantain or dandelion until they start to slow down for the winter when they naturally hibernate.
- 4
  Place a new layer of leaf litter in the container when the caterpillars stop eating and moving around very much. Place the container in a safe, cool spot that will re-create the outdoors, such as a 3-season porch, an unheated garage or even the crisper of a refrigerator.
- 5
  Transfer the woolies to screened cages with fresh leaves once warmer spring weather arrives and they become active again.
- 6
  Watch the larvae spin their cocoons (pupate) and emerge a few weeks later as moths. Release the adult moths after a few days of observation.

Animals & Science