It's Miller Time!

Miller Moth

Miller Moth Larvae......guess the adults are better than the babies!

We're having the biannual miller moth migration (I usually don't notice the fall one) from the plains to the mountains. We must have lots of places that need to be sealed because we have an annoying amount of moths in the house.  I know they are going to pollinate wild flowers but I can't handle moths in the house randomly flying into your face.  Maggie used to enjoy catching them and eating them.  In fact, 'Maggie......MOTH!' was part of her vocab and she knew what she was supposed to do.  Some people suck them up with the vacumn......I've set traps (a light over a bucket of water, with some dishsoap on top of the water) which work well but we have more getting into the house daily. 

'Miller moth is the name given to the army cutworm. Eggs are laid in the plains. About late spring, they transform into moths and migrate to higher elevations for the summer. In late summer and early fall they again migrate to the plains where they multiply. If they live that long. Many don't survive the migration either way as they are routinely squished or sucked into a vacuum cleaner (a popular remedy) if they find themselves inside someone's abode. Besides having to dodge airborne miller moths, when they land they, leave behind a reddish-brown substance. "This is called meconia and is the waste product stored during pupal development." It is a sign that a moth recently "emerged from the pupa."

The miller moth got its name because of the scales on the wings. When they shed, "[t]hese scales reminded people of the dusty flour that cover the clothing of one that mills grain." They are called army cutworms because they tend to travel in "army-like bands." It is not uncommon to see them moving across roads. The word cutworm is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually a caterpillar. It's possible it is called a worm because it burrows underground as it pupates.
The flight path of the miller moth is partly determined by the weather. The years 2001 and 2002 were particularly dry so there were not a lot of flowers to feed on. In contrast, the winter of 2006 as well as the early spring of 2007 were quite wet. The result being plenty of flowers to feed on. Also contributing is the people population. The miller moth travels at night and uses the moon as a navigational aid. House lights confuse them. At sunrise, they look for a dark place to hide, often dark doorways. A door is opened, they are disturbed, inside they fly.'

I think we need to start looking around (attic, basement, etc) so see if we have some entry locations.