Fuzzy venomous caterpillar terrorizes Floridians amid Milton storm relief efforts: ‘the pain was excruciating’

Some of the terrors of Hurricane Milton are small and fluffy.

Floridians are warning that a harmless-looking kind of furry caterpillar that actually has hidden venomous spines that can cause incredibly painful stings has resurged after the storm blew through the Sunshine State this week.

“Be very careful picking up debris and/or hand tools that lay in the backyard,” resident Joel Mathis wrote to Click Orlando after finding the puss caterpillar on his fence while cleaning debris from the storm.

He shared a photo of the caterpillar’s deceiving fur-like appearance, warning others to be on the lookout for the wretched creature. 

While the insect can be hard to spot, measuring in around an inch long, its soft fur hides “extremely toxic spines” that when embedded into the skin causes its victims to suffer a burning rash and severe pain that radiates throughout the body, according to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

Bri Oteri said she couldn’t breathe and was quickly in agonizing pain when she was stung by the caterpillar after leaning on a wooden fence in 2019, the outlet reported at the time.

“In my chest, in my entire right arm, radiating from my wrist all throughout my shoulder. The pain was so excruciating,” Oteri said. 

“I was hysterically crying in the hospital, pleading for the doctors and nurses to help me. Morphine didn’t even touch the pain.”

Experts say the venomous caterpillar – covered in hair-like bristles with an orange streak along its back – is commonly found in oak and elm trees during Florida’s fall and spring months.

Though the species isn’t limited to Florida; they can also be found in states from New Jersey to Florida and west to Arkansas and Texas.

Experts recommend using cellophane tape to remove the spines from the skin as soon as possible, with ice packs, an oral antihistamine and hydrocortisone cream to treat the pain.

“While these interesting insects and their attractive larvae may catch your eye when exploring wild Florida, it is important to exercise caution around them,” according to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.