The Moth Problem
Hey there! Are you familiar with the incredible bogong moths? These little migrants are coming from breeding grounds in the lowlands and making their annual pilgrimage to the stunning high country in WA where they like to spend the summer months.
Every spring, when the weather is starting to get warm, these weird little munching machines (known as Agrotis infusa in Latin) emerge from the hot summer and cold winter resting spots that they’ve occupied in different places.
And guess what? When autumn comes around, they go home!
These moths are nocturnal, often flying around at night and attracted to bright lights. During the daytime, they prefer to snuggle in dark nooks and crannies in order to remain invisible.
They can occasionally cause a bit of trouble for us humans. “They can cause some hiccups, blocking air-conditioning ducts,” like in an airport, or even triggering alarms. In 1988, a plague of moths nicknamed the "Parliament House swarms" forced engineers to change the building's lighting and redesign air intakes.
What can we do about these delightful little pests?
Fortunately, their stop here in Perth is relatively brief typically just 1 to 3 weeks. There’s not much that can be done while they’re in residence, but a few simple tips can help keep them away:
If you're in a high-rise with lots of windows, try dimming or turning off your lights.
Installing fly screens can be helpful.
Keep those windows and doors shut tight!
A gentle spritz of fly spray usually does the trick.
Usually, we don’t advise pest control against Bogong moths, except in very large numbers.
A bit about our moth pals: They’re brown and about 4 cm wide. Though bogong moths can be spotted across non-tropical Australia, the majority migrate in the southeast. Their beautiful wing patterns make them an easy to distinguish from one another, while their brown colour allows them to hide in their caves when they are resting.
As adults, bogong moths feed on nectar (particularly at dusk), and in preparation for summer they lay down fat up to 60% of their body weight! When they enter dormancy (a type of rejuvenating rest), they typically eat little, though they will drink a sip of water if it’s feeling parched.
When spring comes, the adults are ready to break free, although they are not quite ready to copulate. After they eat some food after returning to the mountains, they can reproduce. A fortunate female can lay as many as 2,000 eggs in a good year, and the larvae called cutworms feed slowly through the winter. They can be a nuisance to crops at times as they cut down plants at ground level.
By late winter, the larvae pupate underground, and if conditions are just right great weather and lots of food about you may see many of them around!
Precise Termite Treatment Rivervale offers all pest control services in Rivervale and surroundings. Feel free to contact us at (08) 6103 5097 or visit our website:
https://precisetermitetreatment.com.au/
