132WEATHER
MYTH 6:
Fuzzy caterpillars can
predict winter weather.
This particular piece of weather
lore is well known throughout
Canada and the northern U.S. It
basically states that if you want to
see if a bad winter is ahead of us,
all you need to do is find a woolly,
or fuzzy, bear caterpillar (black at
both ends and rusty brown in the
middle) during the autumn
months and see how wide its black
bands are. The wider the black
bands, the harsher the winter will
be. If the rusty middle is thicker,
then it will be a milder winter.
Also, if the black band on the front
of the caterpillar is wider than the
back end, then the first half of
winter will be worse, and vice
versa for the back end.
It’s a fun theory and would be
great if true, but unfortunately it is
not. The colouration and size of
the caterpillar is based on how
long it has been feeding, its age
and the specific species. If there
has been a good growing season,
then there will be an abundance of
food and the caterpillar will grow
larger, which means that the rusty
band in the middle will becomenarrower and the extremities
wider. That has more to do with
past weather than future weather.
The caterpillar will also shed its
skin several times during its
lifespan, and with each change,
the colouration will also change.
So, enjoy the beauty of these fuzzy
little creatures, but don’t use them
to plan your firewood budget.MYTH 7:
When a rooster crows at
night, it will rain in the
morning.
Although we hear roosters
crowing early in the morning, it
doesn’t mean they don’t do it
throughout the day. Roosters sleep
at night, which is why it’s a rarity
to hear them at that time, but they
will crow at any time if they feel
ill, threatened or agitated. How
exactly did this story get created?
People have observed that when a
storm approaches, birds get
restless. Since crowing at night
was a sign of restlessness, it
simply became weather lore that
this meant rain was coming.
Although it is a nice theory,
science doesn’t back this one up.