No, I’m not referring to that ice-cold beer we long for after a hard day; I’m talking about those small, pesky moths that congregate in and around your home, waiting until you go to bed before they come out in droves. They are extremely annoying, especially as we take blind aim, swatting through the air – smack, we got one! Of course, after the “hit,” there is a line of miller dust clinging to the white wall. Luckily, we only have to deal with miller moths for a short period, and the time is now.After I was asked how to reduce the number of miller moths in the home, I decided to find out what information was available. According to an article written by Whitney Cranshaw and Frank Peairs, entomologists with the Colorado State UniversityCooperative Extension, miller moth is the term given to any type of moth that is abundant in and around homes. The common miller in Colorado is the army cutworm – technical name is euxoa auxiliaris. The wings on moths are covered with fine scales that easily rub off.No one really knows why millers migrate to the mountains in the summer, but people speculate there is an abundance of summer flowers that provide the nectar they need. Some say that cooler mountain temperatures allow them to conserve more energy and live longer. If we have a dry season, when there are not as many flowers, millers will probably lessen their stay in comparison to a wet season. Generally, moth season begins in late May and lasts five to six weeks.The question is can we do anything to get rid of them. The answer is not much! After your arm eventually tires from swatting the air, you can try hanging a light bulb over a bowl of soapy water. The moths will be attracted to the light and hopefully fall into the water. Insecticides have little or no effect. I did talk with several people who have used an insecticide strip, Prozap, and they said it did kill the moths.Good luck!For more information on the miller moth, visit http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Pests/millers.htm or http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/LARIMER/millers.htm
