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Moth natural enemies
Within the wild moths and their larvae are the food source for many species – in this article we will look at the different types of enemies moths find in their natural habitat. Geometrid moths are important prey for a wide variety of natural enemies. Moth larvae are attacked by many insect eating birds and […]
UK’s largest moth found on Dartmoor
The UK’s largest moth has been found fluttering around Dartmoor, a beautiful privet hawk moth was found by wildlife author Charlie Elder who lives near Tavistock. Sharing his find on Twitter, Charlie – who is head of production for Western Morning News & The Herald – said: “Wow, what a whopper of a moth – […]
Are moths on the move?
The release of a new book has shown how moths in Britain and Ireland are changing and has revealed that they are on the move. This is down to factors such as habitat damage and climate change, and the extent of the change was explained in the new publication of Atlas of Britain and Ireland’s […]
The surprising tale of our winter moths
Not one of the five or six overwintering butterfly species usually venture out in the winter, they usually safely tucked up in hibernation. So it may be surprising that out of the four hundred moths in the UK, 11 are considerably more active in the winter months. The most notable of these moths is the […]
Genetically engineered male moths released to stop crop damage
A new strain of genetically modified moth has been released into the wild in the state of New York. The Diamondback Moth causes billions of dollars of damage in the crops of the brassica genus, including cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. However, the new strain, developed with the help of Oxford-based biotech company Oxitec, has genetically […]
Dealing with moths in 2020
Moths were a huge problem for many homeowners in the UK in 2019, the long periods of time we had where the temperature was over 16 degrees. When the temperature is at 16 degrees or over, moths start to breed. Not only do they breed, but there life-cycle increases the speed it transitions meaning the […]
Textile Moths in winter
Moths are renowned as a summer pest and in the wild they are known to almost die out in the winter months. When the temperature drops to the low temperatures it does in winter months, moths cannot survive. However, with the advancements humans have made in recent years, moths are becoming a more year round […]
Rare moth finds changes £6 million King’s Lynn sewer upgrade
A rare moth in Norfolk, which was previously thought to be extinct, was found during a sewer upgrade. Anglian Water were recently renovating water pipes that covered more than a mile in a project that was expected to last several months. However, since the rare moth, known as the Orange Conch, has been found the […]
Moth populations in steady decline in Britain, study finds
A long running study shows the 1976 heatwave boom has been followed dropping numbers in moth numbers across the UK. They are declining at a rate of 10% each decade in the UK but the average weight of each moth is double what it was in 1967. Researchers studying the biomass of moths caught in […]
Insect pests: Natural-born moth killers
Not only are insect pest’s garden problems, they are also problems inside the home too. We are currently in the middle of an indoor epidemic if clothes moths, a very destructive insect. Since natural fibres were present in most homes across the UK, clothes moth larvae have been munching holes in anything woollen, cashmere or […]