Colorado’s yearly miller moth infestation; What are they and how to control them

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- It's that time of year again, miller season. Every year around the end of spring and beginning of summer, Colorado's Front Range becomes infested with miller moths. While the influx of these creatures is expected, many people aren't sure how to control them or even why they're here, to begin with.

The good news is they're harmless. They won't eat your clothes like other moth species, they don't bite or sting, and they aren't toxic if your pet eats them.

The miller moth is the adult form of the army cutworm. The moths migrate from the eastern plains to the mountains, and they do this for about three weeks every spring. We're caught in the middle of that right now and it can be quite a nuisance in our homes, cars, and garages.

"What caused them to have such high numbers this year, that is probably a combination of environmental situations, the weather, and also the food supply the juvenile form had," May Natural History Museum Part-Owner Carrie York said. "They must've had a really good year."

The miller moth is nocturnal. To prevent them from getting inside, keep windows closed and keep doors closed as much as possible when entering or exiting at night.

"They're very attracted to light," York said. "So at night when we're in our houses we usually have some lights on and they're finding their way into the tiny nooks and crannies to get close to the light. So if you want to keep them away, the best thing you can do is reduce the lights. Especially outside like your porch lights, you can leave those off, and that will discourage them."

If they're already inside, there are many different ways to get rid of them. Such as vacuuming them up or swatting them.

"One really good thing to do is take a clear bowl with soapy water and put a light over it maybe on your sink," York said. "Then when you go to bed turn all the other lights off. They will be attracted to that, get into the soapy water, and then they can't fly out."

They have a life span of only a couple of days. So even if they do get inside, you'll likely be cleaning up dead ones if you wait it out. The miller moth will only be around in these numbers for another couple of weeks.