Posted by Margo Mcgrath on October 17, 2008

Q: I picked up 5 Wooly Bear catapillar's today, in the hopes of raising them, and showing them next year at the National Wooly Bear festivle in Vermillion, Ohio.

1.) Will they become moth's before then ?

2.) What do I feed them to get all through the winter ?

3.) Keep them in a colder climate ?

State: Ohio

A: I'm glad to hear you want information on how to care for your animals Margo. Too often people find interesting animals but never learn how to care for them and they just die. I'm originally from Ohio myself, but never heard of the Woolly Bear Festival - sounds like fun.

The Woolly Bears are crawling about right now looking for a place to overwinter. They'll crawl under a board, leaves, or any loose shelter to spend the winter months. While in their shelter they'll not eat at all but simply lie dormant until spring. In the spring they "wake up" and go into their pupal phase. They spin a cocoon around themselves and their body changes from a caterpillar to an adult moth. Once they leave the cocoon as an adult Isabella Moth they mate, lay eggs, and then die.

If you want to keep your Woolly Bears over the winter be sure NOT to keep them in a warm location. Be sure to think how these animals would normally live outside and try to replicate that. If I were you I'd keep them in an unheated garage or outbuilding. Of course, you'll need to keep them in some kind of container so they don't crawl away but make sure it has plenty of air circulation (window screening may make a good cover). Good luck to you and thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( October 18, 2008)