Be careful, I don't know if it happens to everyone but those spiny hairs can leave welts on you! At least they do me

Anyone interested in caterpillars can always check out the best forum on here - the BBB forum. That's Birds, Butterflies, and Bees. I just happen to be moderator. We have a monthly thread dedicated just for butterflies and caterpillars. Come check us out!

http://garden.org/forums/view/...

Kabby said:How can y'all even touch Virginia creeper? I knew poison ivy had 3 leaves so why is this 5 leaves vine breaking me out and making me itch? I run for the water to scrub it off if I even think I've touched it.
Thanks to these wonderful forums, I am trying to plant host plants for the butterflies. Last year I only had bronze fennel, but this year I went nuts and bought paw paw trees, milkweed, cherry trees, passion vine, and white Dutchman's Pipe seeds. I hope to have a caterpillar and butterfly paradise.

@Kabby
I found this:
With V. creeper, it is the oxylate crystals in the sap that cause a rash and/or blisters in sensitive people.
From here:
http://www.dailylocal.com/arti...

And this:
Some literature suggests that Virginia Creeper is not poisonous, but the sap of the plant contains oxalate crystals and can cause skin irritation and rashes in some people.
From:
http://plants.usda.gov/plantgu...

Thanks Ann for whatever reason, I avoid it. My DH can rub poison ivy in an open cut and it won't affect him. I just have him available if this kind of weeding needs to be done. He follows the vine under the soil to get it all out.

froggardener said:Be careful, I don't know if it happens to everyone but those spiny hairs can leave welts on you! At least they do me

My caterpillar book says contact with the hairs on the grapeleaf skeletonizer can cause a rash that lasts for 1-3 days. There are other caterpillars like that too, so I always avoid touching any with hairs unless I'm wearing gloves.

Good advice, Sue! Yes, if you don't know, don't touch! Only a few caterpillars will actually "sting" you, and even then they actually have urticating hairs that break off in your skin. But a lot of them can cause contact dermatitis so be careful.