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It's Miller Time! Moths Driving Colorado Buggy

Daniel Johnson
/
Creative Commons/Flickr

The mild winter has brought the much-reviled miller moths back to the Front Range earlier than usual. The six- to eight-week annual migration typically doesn’t begin until well into May – but the population has exploded because of the hot, dry spring this year.

Although the moths aren’t harmful, they are viewed with extreme annoyance by most Coloradans because of their erratic, dive-bombing behavior and their tendency to swarm near doors and windows.

A Channel 9 report shows video of miller moths covering windowsills and light fixtures – not for the squeamish!

Pest control expert James Whidden tells the Colorado Springs Gazette the insects are an extreme nuisance that cannot be controlled. Any waves of bugs killed off today will be replaced within a day.

Colorado State University entomologists’ perspective is a little less vitriolic, but a lot more academic. [Warning: dry scientific language within]

The bugs are swarming social media too. A Twitter search for ‘miller moths’ reveals Coloradans’ wide-ranging attitudes toward the critters, ranging from ‘annoying’ (on a level with tumbleweeds and slightly worse than snakes), to ‘cheap cat toys.’  

This apparently has driven the insects into the heart of the PR battle - at least in the Twittersphere...

 

 

Video of a moth invasion in Canada that shows it could always be worse…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMeon3TGn5c&feature=related

And because we can – video of one brave little warrior in the fight…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmgL4LFHjhw

As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
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