As we expected, the county extension didn’t phone back…we did send an email, including a picture, last night just in case someone is working from home.
I looked up moths that are harmful to fruit trees. The codling moth was the one that came up first, but they’re small, only about a half inch long, and ours are at least an inch. There were a couple of others mentioned, but their descriptions didn’t seem to fit either.
Then Andy said maybe they’re not after fruit trees, he thinks he saw some flying around outside down here. So I looked up “moths New Mexico”. No problem getting hits on that one. Apparently they are miller moths and they’re all over the state.
As it turns out, we were among the unlucky ones to have them in our apartment. There was a swarm in one of our bedrooms last night, and we figured they were coming in through the bathroom fan vent. We sealed it off with a plastic bag and duck tape, then Andy vacuumed up most of the horde. They flew away when he tried to change the bag, but it was outside so presumably there are only a few left in the house.
Apparently they don’t lay their eggs here. One report said they come looking for water because of the drought, another said they lay their eggs down in the farms of Eastern New Mexico and come up here to sip nectar and mate. The main thing is they won’t damage our fruit trees, and most of them are now out of our apartment.
As usual, we don’t have to leave home to have an adventure. Once again, bless the internet!
May 20, 2020
WOW – WOW – WOW
fancy that they even knew where Andy lived…so sent a few cousins to say thanks!
It’s amazing. 😀
Amazing what one can find on the Internet. Mom says she wouldn’t be happy about them flying around inside at all. But we are glad they won’t harm the fruit trees either.
Woos, Lightning and Timber
We weren’t thrilled with them inside, and it took a while, but we got them out. It helped a lot that we knew they were harmless.
I’m so relieved. not only for you and Andy but for the moths too!
I can remember Mother and Gram calling them ‘millers’.
We’ve lived here almost 46 years and had the land about 44 years, and have never had this happen before. Strange!
It’s one thing to have them on your trees a whole other to have them in your house. Glad you figured out what they are and the won’t hurt the trees
I agree, it’s not pleasant to have them in the apartment!
I always thought we had miller moths here but I just checked and apparently I’ve been misnaming something else. I get one in the house from time to time when I let the dog in or out. I would not want them thick enough that I had to vacuum them up. There’s always something.
Yes, there is always something! 😀
YIKES!
Who would have guessed something like this would happen?!
I had looked up the coddling moth…did you notice that what they harm is not the tree itself but the fruit?
But I am glad these millers were not harming the blossom…maybe even pollinating them.
Yes, I did notice that, but I was more relieved that codling moths are small. Ours are not! Apparently the moth in our picture is sipping the nectar and presumably pollinating the tree.
It’s really disturbing that they have found their way into your home, but I’m so glad you solved the mystery!
Yes, bless the internet, that was a big relief!
Glad to hear they won’t damage your fruit trees, and glad to hear you got rid of the swarm in your bedroom. Some parts of England have experienced moth invasions that wreaked havoc on people’s clothes.
Fortunately these moths aren’t that kind… there sure are a lot of them!