Prior to settling in for the winter, the wooly worm will survive by eating a variety of plants such as cabbage, spinach, grass, and clover. And to protect itself from predators, the wooly worm will curl up into a ball, exposing only its bristles, which can be quite irritating to the skin.

In the American Northeast, it is believed that if the woolly worm has more brown on its body than black, it will be a fair winter. If the woolly worm has more black than brown, the winter will be harsh.