*Originally published on May 22, 2020
Updated on May 31, 2024:

They're coming...

Insect experts at Colorado State University (CSU) say that there will be a "mild-to-normal" miller moth season on the Front Range than usual this summer. 

I don't know about you, but I remember a particular Colorado summer in the '90s when moths swarmed the state. We found crunchy carcasses of moths disintegrating in our window sills for months afterward.

While the moths may be a nuisance to humans, they're harmless. In fact, they actually play an important part in mountain ecosystems, said Chuck Harp, collections manager at the campus C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity.

“They’re a good protein source for birds, and there’s a lot of research that bears eat them at high elevations,” Harp said.

If you come across a swarm of moths, Cranshaw recommends dimming lights and even holding a light bulb over soap-filled water in order to attract them. She also said that insecticides do not kill moths, but you can always suck them into a vacuum.