How Caterpillars Ruined This Woman's Life

This lady is so creeped out by creepy-crawly caterpillars that they dictate the way she lives.

Jane Cohen cannot leave the house if she sees one outside. 

She told Wales Online that one time she came face to face with one on her lettuce at dinner and was unable to eat lettuce for a whole year as a result.

“I’ve had real problems today because there are loads out there,” the 45-year-old said. “God, I hate them so badly. I’m absolutely terrified of them. I won’t sit on grass or under trees.

“I won’t buy a lettuce from the supermarket unless it is in a bag and washed...And I won’t hang my washing outside in case any get on my clothes.”

Jane does not like any insects “but caterpillars are the absolute worst”.

“When my son was very small there was one outside the front door,” Jane said. “My neighbour had to come and remove it before I could leave the house.”

One colleague changed her screensaver to show one and Jane “screamed the place down.” 

“I was hysterical. I was shaking. It was magnified to about 500 times the normal size. It was horrid.”

Jane says she doesn't know where her fear started but it's been like it ever since she was a little girl. She said other kids knew she was scared of them and would chase her around the playground with them.

She hoped the phobia would go but instead it has become “worse and worse”.

“I’m really cautious. If someone bought me a lettuce straight from their garden it would go straight in the bin.”

Now Jane has tried to beat her fear by writing a children’s story – called Book Worms – that have caterpillars as characters.

“When I had to look up all the pictures online for it was pretty horrible,” Jane said.

“But I forced myself to do it. Though, if I’m honest I didn’t look at too many pictures of caterpillars.”

The book also stars “a family of genius worms called the Wormsworths.”

It has a cast of bugs and “other pesky creatures that children are normally fascinated with.”

Jane admitted she still hates caterpillars.

“All I can say is that writing Book Worms has really helped me face my phobia,” she said.