posting for traffic but what is this

[zobey]

Found at my in laws house near the sink in the kitchen.

It's only a caterpillar! I thought I was a bit obsessive with the dettol, but I don't think I'd even bother wiping a surface if it was a just a caterpillar crawling across it. My 2yo DS ate 3 yesterday, but it's ok, he sluiced his insides out by drinking the contents of the watering can [bleurgh].

Caterpillars don't lay eggs...

What do you mean when you say 'to ensure there were no eggs left'?Caterpillars don't lay eggs!

Caterpillars that size wouldn't be anywhere near eggs (they would have all hatched about the same time so their 'batch' would all be the same size) and they don't lay eggs until they're moths/ butterflies themselves.

I can't imagine there's any risk even if you accidently ate it .

Whopping great bogey. Think Fungus has been visiting in the dead of night.

OP - you must have money to burn. Honestly it's just a caterpillar and will do none of you any harm. I understand you are worried about your FIL, but that's a massive overreaction. If it was a worry to you you could have washed those items. Throwing them away is OTT. Where are you btw? Just wondering how come you've never seen a caterpillar before.

This thread is bringing back happy memories of going fishing with my father and brothers, and discovering my brother had been quietly eating most of the maggot bait... Happy days!

caterpillars come out of eggs. It is the butterflies/moths that lay the eggs. The caterpillar would have got in the house by accident and wont have crawled all over the kitchen and wouldnt be a danger to anyone.

Poor caterpillar :( But they are harmless, OP. A caterpillar can't harm your FIL. How have you never seen a caterpillar before?

We found a millipede in the bath this evening. We all admired it trying to climb out before releasing it to the garden.

But just for the OP: Close the door, they're coming in the window:

I totally and utterly despair that someone can't tell the difference between a maggot and a caterpillar in this day and age!

This thread is hilarious, deeply depressing, and worrying in equal measure.

It has reminded me of a bizarre conversation I had with a woman in the local park many years ago who insisted that the sticklebacks I was showing my DC would develop into frogs.

My 3 year old and 5 year old were and .

OP - I am sorry I didn't see the bit about your dad being ill.

You must be very worried about him.

He really isn't at any risk from this - the caterpillar won't have left any dangerous germs or anything. As long as you wiped the surfaces everything will be perfectly clean.

I hope his treatment goes well and you have good news soon.

Sorry about your poor fil, but your dd is more likely to compromise his immune system than the poor caterpillar.

Don't think the OP has read a single reply on the thread. Makes you wonder why they bothered posting, really.

Just :) :) :) at someone throwing stuff away because they found a caterpillar!

PLEASE OP come back and tell us this was an April Fool you posted two days early.

OP, I really hope you aren't stressing about this, because I promise that a caterpillar isn't going to do your FIL's weakened immune system any harm. You sound like a lovely DIL to have if you put this much effort into caring for him.

I LOVE this thread.

The OP can't possibly know what a caterpillar is and is ignoring all the people who have told her there was no need to throw away anything and do a deep clean. What a ludicrous waste of time and money.

I read a book once where someone's dad went fishing so kept coloured maggots in the shed, pink and green. But I assume they had been dyed those colours.

Can't see the picture as on the app but I have honestly never gone on a cleaning spree because of any insect... Especially not a caterpillar!

I only worry about caterpillars if I find half of one in broccoli that I have been eating. I am just astonished that someone would not recognise a caterpillar or would think they lay eggs.

My friends DH once went fishing and washed out his maggot box in the kitchen sink. She was then left wondering where all the flies were coming from when the windows were not even open, till she saw one come out the sink plug hole and went and looked and saw these maggots all on the outside drain cover. Bleurgh! OP would have got a whole new kitchen out of that little misdemeanour!

I am just astonished that someone would not recognise a caterpillar or would think they lay eggs.

indeed. surely, even if you've never heard of the very hungry caterpillar book, the lifecycle of a caterpillar is covered in most nursery schools/reception classes, along with the obligatory tadpoles and frogs. all my rainbows (aged 5-6) could tell me about this when we made butterflies a while ago.

This thread is weird. OP I understand that you may be concerned for your FIL, but really the caterpillar is no threat, and its a bit strange that you can't recognise it.
Its a caterpillar, a perfectly normal and natural creature that lives on greenery - it probably came in with some flowers or veggies. It's not dirty - all the organic veggies you pay a premium for are crawling with them - its a good thing! Weirdly enough the vegetables you buy and eat are grown in DIRT in NATURE and have NATURAL things living on them - its NORMAL. Also caterpillars are the immature stage of BUTTERFLIES - they can't lay eggs till they become adult. I recommend this educational film

Your reaction is a bit worrying - are you very stressed, or a bit OCD?

Words fail me.

I think this is a reverse AIBU.