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STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - These creepy critters enjoy nice long picnics in the woods. The leaf-eating gypsy moth caterpillars are out in force in parts of the mid-Atlantic following a warm, dry spring — just the kind of weather that can make the insects thrive. Experts are predicting an especially bad year for trees, primarily oaks, which are the caterpillars' favorite snack.
At their largest, the hungry caterpillars can consume 1 square foot of foliage per day, according to University of Maryland entomologist Mike Raupp.
"As soon as the warm weather hits, they eat like dynamos, juggernauts," Raupp said.
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