Archive · 5 Oct 2026
Beijing Park Turns Holiday Caterpillar Hunt Into Pest-Control Contest
A park in Beijing invited people to catch caterpillars during a holiday.
The caterpillars are called fall webworms.
They can harm many kinds of plants, including crops and fruit trees.
The park calls them the “forest food monster.”
Visitors learned how to recognize them and searched the park with gloves and containers.
Some people can win prizes, including park tickets.
Since the contest began, visitors have caught more than 310,000 caterpillars.
One participant said the activity was meaningful and could interest children in nature.
Beijing Wildlife Park invited visitors to collect fall webworm larvae during China’s Golden Week holiday.
Participants searched the nearly 550-acre park using gloves, containers and chopsticks after a brief lesson on identifying the caterpillars.
Since the competition began on September 28, about 2,077 people have caught more than 310,000 caterpillars weighing 47.65 kg.
Prizes include up to 10 park tickets for participants with the heaviest catch.
The fall webworm is an invasive pest in China that can damage more than 300 plant species; Beijing was experiencing peak damage from this year’s third generation.
- Who
- Beijing Wildlife Park visitors, including about 2,077 participants.
- What
- A contest asking visitors to catch fall webworm larvae, with prizes for the heaviest catches.
- When
- The competition began on September 28 and was reported on October 5 during China’s Golden Week holiday.
- Where
- Beijing Wildlife Park, Beijing, China.
- Why
- The fall webworm is a damaging pest, and the park’s activity encouraged visitors to help catch the larvae.
- Competition start
- September 28
- Participants
- About 2,077
- Caterpillars caught
- More than 310,000
- Combined catch weight
- 47.65 kg (105.05 lbs)
- Park area
- Nearly 550 acres (223 hectares)
- Possible prize
- Up to 10 park tickets
- Plant species at risk
- The caterpillar can damage more than 300 species, including crops and fruit trees.