Citizens Of Houston Are Warned For Stinging Tree Asps

(Houston, TX) — Houstonians are being warned to look out for a fuzzy, harmless-looking insect with a severely painful sting.

Asp caterpillars, also called tree asps, are turning up in growing numbers around Houston. The asp is venomous and is extremely painful when touched. For most people, the sting means pain and swelling, but pest expert Mikal Shamsi says others can have an allergic reaction that is potentially fatal. Shamsi said the caterpillars are showing up later than usual this year because Tropical Storm Harvey interfered with their reproductive cycle.

He says the asps are usually found in ivy, oaks, and rosebushes.