This guy in my barn says winter is going to be mild 
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I had one mild winter, two for harsh to start mild to finish and one harsh winter - so prolly just as accurate as the meteorologists long range forecast
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I’ve seen one this year, what are the signs it is going to be mild?
I had one too!
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How much black they have on each end. The less black the milder the winter.
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I wish I’d taken note of the only one I’ve seen so far this year…I think it was close to equal…
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Ughh, that’s bad.
Mine were more black, but they are defying the weatherman’s prediction of a mild winter.
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PNW woolies are saying could be a bit cooler… black front and back seem like 1/4 to 1/3 of total wooly body. Stink bug forecast is cold and wet if the sheer numbers seeking shelter in my house and barn mean anything. Ugh!
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I’m seeing the same thing, and am in PNW like you.
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I think someone said the Farmers Almanac predicts cold to start and warm to finish (at least on the west coast).
the only one I’ve seen this year so far was solid black.
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Eek
It didn’t occur to me until I clicked on this thread that it would be about insects rather than floofy horses. 
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I definitely thought it was about floofy horses.
Mine is floofy. But brown at both ends.
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On one of the weather channels a guy has 10 woolies in his hand. Nine out of ten were mainly orange with small black bands and the tenth was mostly black with a small orange band. He said it means a mild winter.
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Well I saw an all black one in Ocala today.
I just looked up the kind of moth woolly bears turn into. It is an Isabella Tiger moth, nice light orangish with black speckles. The information said the woolly bears live thru winter, though not active until spring returns. So any non-moving (but may not be dead) ones should be put in a sheltered area to wait for spring. A couple weeks into warm spring they spin a cocoon, then take a couple weeks to turn into the moth and hatch.
Funny after years of seeing woolly bears, I never thought to find out what insect they turn into!! So far I have seen a couple black ones and multiple ones with black on both ends, brown middles.
Everyone is predicting the winter weather! No one will remember who said what by spring, so you could call them to say “You were SO wrong!!” Has been a lovely fall, with so many warm, sunny days. Finally got a lot of rain last Monday and Tues. Very helpful rain after being so dry. But it has been nice working horses outside almost daily!
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I did not know this. I’ve always moved unmoving wooly bears to the side just because I couldn’t bear to do anything else. Interesting to see what kind of moth they turn in to as well. I never thought to look that up either.
