What’s With all The Damn Moths

We are besieged by these flying monsters in Kansas and we’re not alone

If you’re like me and you don’t particularly like bugs this invasion can feel like a scene from a horror movie. These moths are called “cutworm moths.” They are migrating here from our west side neighbor, Colorado.

Per the news they invade in droves every 10–15 years so I guess we’re due. However, neither my husband nor I can ever remember them being this bad before.

Per the local news, they live on flower nectar so fortunately they aren’t known for causing much damage. They are mainly a nuisance as they hibernate in day light so they are easily seen hiding around door frames and windows that aren’t in direct sunlight. Every neighborhood has thousand of them and of course, they can easily get inside.

There are so many that they are swarming people who enter their garages, or people headed outside in the dark to reach a parked car. Porch lights and street lights attract them so many blocks in neighborhoods are keeping their outside lights off in an effort to ward them off.

Some HOA neighborhoods have petitioned the city to turn off their street lights, but so far the city isn’t complying. If you’re brave enough to go outside at night you will see huge swarms of them around any outside light source. Businesses are complaining the loudest as they have to run outdoor lights.

We are keeping fly swatters near our doors to kill them every time they’re opened as they rest on them day and night. However, we still find some flying around our lamps when we turn them on. The good news is once out temperature gets into the 90’s they will start dying off.

I guess it could be worse since they are merely a nuisance and relatively harmless. An influx of Army Ants, Carpenter Ants, or bees would be much worse. And a bat invasion is definitely be my idea of a horror movie.

We’re coping by envisioning a worse case scenario and from the news we’ve learned the number of moths in CO is catastrophic. Even hikers and campers are swarmed with them. The drought in the plain states is apparently making them worse this year.

Since misery loves company, are there any insects inundating your neck of the woods? Or, are you lucky this year as the buzzing, flying, crawling little bastards are leaving you alone? If so, count your blessings. 🙏🏻 🤗

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