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WEBVTT NATALIE: LURKING IN THE TREES, BENCHES, AND SIDEWALKS AROUND THE CITY, THESE SMALL, FURRY AND QUIET CREATURES ACTUALLY LOOK KIND OF CUTE AND CUDDLY. >> THAT PAIN WAS INDESCRIBABLE. AND IT WAS PROBABLY THE WORST PAIN I'VE BEEN THROUGH. NATALIE: KARL MISCHLER REMEMBERS WHEN HE WAS STUNG BY A PUSS MOTH CATERPILLAR DECADES AGO. >> 7-YEARS-OLD OR 8-YEARS-OLD, I BRUSHED UP AGAINST ONE OF THEM AND IT STUNG ME SO BAD I THOUGHT IT WAS THE END OF THE WORLD, PRETTY MUCH. I'M IN MY 50'S NOW, SO IT'S QUITE A WHILE BACK, BUT WITH THAT KIND OF PAIN YOU NEVER FORGET. NATALIE: THE CATERPILLAR MEASURES ONLY ABOUT AN INCH OR TWO IN LENGTH, BUT BENEATH ITS COAT OF HAIRS ARE VENOMOUS, LITTLE STINGERS. >> THAT CAN BE EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL AND I'M GOING TO SAY THAT BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN BITTEN BY A SNAKE BEFORE AND I GOT BITTEN BY A CATERPILLAR AND THE CATERPILLAR BITE WAS MUCH MORE PAINFUL THAN THE SNAKE BITE. NATALIE: MOST PEOPLE HAVE NEVER EVEN NOTICED THEM. >> HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ONE? >> NO. THAT IS REALLY CREEPY. NATALI BUT EXPERTS SAY THE PUSS MOTH CATERPILLAR IS ONE OF FOUR, COMMON STINGING CATERPILLARS IN LOUISIANA. >> DON'T MOVE AROUND A LOT IF STUNG. TAKE A BENADRYL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A BAD REACTION TO STINGS, AND PUT ICE ON THE SITE. >> YOU COULD ALSO HAVE SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS, AND THAT CAN BE NAUSEA, VOMITTING, HEADACHES, FEVER AND EVEN ANTI-PHIL ACCESS, WHIC IS AN ALLERGIC REACTION THAT COULD CAUSE YOU TO STOP BREATHING. NATALIE: SOMETIMES YOU CAN EVEN LEAVE A GNARLY SCAR. AND FOR CARL HE'S LEARNED HIS , LESSON THE HARD WAY. >> I JUST GO THE OTHER DIRECTION. NATALI EXPERTS SAY THAT THESE CATERPILLARS WILL NOT LURKING

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