Currently one of the most popular news items at Yahoo! News is Caterpillar Population Explodes in Mass. As a current resident of Mass., I can testify to the disgusting omnipresence of caterpillars. All around my house there are zillions of tent caterpillars. When I first arrived on island in mid-May, they were just exiting their tents. Now they are in all the plants, climbing up the sides of the house, and marching across the deck. They are big, furry, gross, and filled with juicy guts that explode when you step on them. My mom tried to squish one last weekend and it blew up all over her foot. Ick.