A miller moth "plague" is coming ...

*Originally published on May 22, 2020
Updated on June 6, 2022:

Insect experts at Colorado State University (CSU) say that there will be more miller moths on the Front Range than usual this summer. 

According to Whitney Cranshaw, a professor emeritus of entomology at CSU, there were fewer blooms along the plains due to drought and late freezes, so the moths will be found in gardens throughout the Colorado Springs and Denver metro areas to feed.

"When this happens, the moths can become highly concentrated in areas where there are blooms—such as irrigated landscapes around homes," said Cranshaw.

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

However, Cranshaw said there won’t be nearly as many moths this season as there were then.

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.