How to Find a Caterpillar in October

Wear gloves. Many caterpillars are safe to handle, but some will sting. There are some that will secret a smelly or sticky substance when they are cornered. The gloves will protect your hands from the caterpillars' natural defenses.

Look in tall grass. Many caterpillars feed on grasses. Woolly bear caterpillars can be found in many places in October. Their furry bodies and pretty designs make them easy caterpillars to find. This caterpillar is one of the few caterpillars that overwinter in their larval, or caterpillar, stage. They produce a form of antifreeze and pupate in the spring.

Look on leaves. Trees, bushes and many leafy plants are host plants for many caterpillar species. Look on, under and around the leaves of possible host plants.

Look again. Many caterpillars are camouflaged. You could be standing within a foot of a caterpillar and not see it unless you look really hard. They are often the color of the plant they feed on and have other tricks to help them hide.

Look for eggs. Butterflies and moths lay eggs that will hatch into caterpillars. Find the eggs and hatch them into caterpillars. Look on the undersides of leaves for the easiest-to-find eggs. Pluck the leaf off the plant, along with several more leaves. Place these into a butterfly-raising net or an aquarium with a tight lid. In a few days the eggs will hatch into caterpillars. Regularly replace dead leaves with fresh ones from the same plant. Do not add water as the caterpillars could fall in and drown.