I have thousands of worms/catarpillers that are black, have white/yellow dashes on their backs and blue stripes on their sides,a few long fuzzy hairs also. They will bite. What are they and how do I kill them? I live in mid-central Minnesota.

Have you looked at articles about centipedes? That's what these things sound like. Here's a starting point.

Sowbugs, Millipedes, and Centipedes in the Home

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Originally Posted by Catsmine

Have you looked at articles about centipedes? That's what these things sound like. Here's a starting point.

Sowbugs, Millipedes, and Centipedes in the Home

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No, they are not centipedes, they look like army worms but a different color.

No they are not centipedes, they look more like army worms but a different color.

Try this list, if it has your caterpillar.
Caterpillar Wallpaper

I know of a hairy caterpillar we get seasonally, which even when we touch it gives a rash.Not sure what they are though.

I will look for some more samples for you to look through.

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Here are a few caterpillars listed as "Stingers" on
Stinging Caterpillars: A Guide to Recognition of Species Found on Alabama Trees
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White Flannel Moth
White Flannel Moth (Norape ovina)

The full-grown caterpillar of the white flannel moth is 1 to 11/4 inches long. The body is basically pale yellow with a broad, dark brown to black band on the back. Within the band is a double row of raised, pale yellow spots or tubercles which bear clumps of short setae. Similar clumps of setae occur along each side. Overall, the body is sparsely clothed with longer hairs.

This caterpillar is known to feed on redbud, hackberry, beech, mimosa, and honeylocust. In Alabama, it is found most often on redbud and occasionally on honeylocust. Larvae generally begin to appear during the first half of August, and are present into October. Young larvae often feed side-by-side in rows; older larvae tend to scatter and feed individually. The species is sometimes a serious defoliator of ornamental redbud.



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Forest Tent Caterpillars
Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria)

The forest tent caterpillar, although classified as a tent caterpillar, does not make a tent. Larvae feed on foliage of a variety of trees, but the primary hosts in Alabama are water tupelo, blackgum, sweetgum, and the oaks. The full-grown caterpillar is about 2 inches long. The head is blue, mottled with black. The body is blue to bluish black. The primary identifying characteristic for the caterpillar is a row of whitish diamond- or keyhole - shaped spots down the midline of the back. Larvae are generally present in April and May.
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Then do they look like any of these?

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