The Invasion of the Earthworms and the Caterpillars

Last week I heard a report from the Fayetteville, Arkansas, NPR station chronicling an invasion of some 100 plus earthworms into one of the campus building at the University. After several scientists were interviewed, they attributed this invasion to the recent 5.6 earthquake in central Oklahoma a few weeks ago. Their reasoning was logical--that a disruption in the underbelly of the earth would naturally cause these little beings to try to escape--much like all of us that Saturday night. I was sitting on the sofa in our house in Northwest Arkansas waiting on my son and grandchildren to return home from the football game. Since it was a windy night, I at first thought the rumbling in the house was a tornado since we are known for these in our part of the world. I soon, however, decided it was an earthquake and turned on the nightly news immediately for confirmation. They reporters were discussing the flickering lights in the studio caused by the shaking. I called my son, who was in Taco Bell with the family, who hadn't felt anything. The next morning the grandchildren asked my husband, already in bed at eleven, if he felt anything. He simply said that he felt the shaking but thought "it was Mom B. getting into bed."

The caterpillar invasion followed shortly after the earthquake as well. Again, the wind continued, and I attributed the downed baby caterpillars to being blown from the trees. My husband assured me, however, that there were no bag worms this time of year. The streets, as well as our living room, seemed to have many earthworms and caterpillars around.

Many of our states have been hit hard this year by the bizarre weather from last winter forward--unbelievably cold weather in the deep South (20 below zero), numerous spring floods deep enough to close Interstate 40 for a period of time, severe drought in the summer, tornadoes, hail, and now earthquakes. What's a person to do?