Moths arrive in spring: why does it happen and how to avoid them at home?

More than a month before spring begins, people may begin to notice certain changes in the environment, such as increasing temperatures and allergies as good as arrival of night butterflies .

These types of insects are generally abundant at this time and, depending on the National Museum of Natural History of Chile can be seen more frequently “in areas surrounding crops or wild vegetation. »

Moths, like all insects, have The cycles of life then they experience periods of inactivity which generally occur during winter since these “are not able to control body temperature like humans do,” he says. Tomislav Curkovic academic at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of University of Chile at La Tercera.

He thus adds that, when spring arrives, the temperatures are no longer deadly then you are they reappear . However, he explains that these insects never disappear because they seek shelter in the environment, such as in someone’s garden. Therefore, these “We can’t see them because they are hidden, but they are there “.

Alfredo Ugarte agronomist and entomologist, tells La Tercera that the butterfly season has only just begun because they come”a lot and you have to be prepared “.

However, he also mentions that these They will disappear once the herbs dry although this It will depend on the rainfall. , since “if it rains even later, the period of these insects is extended. If it doesn’t rain soon and the heat starts, there will be a peak large number of moths and then it will disappear.

In the country, according to the academic from the University of Chile, there are no harmful butterflies although he comments that the greatest damage they can cause in their adult form “is that scares a lot of people who has a phobia, because They flutter around you. .

However, it appears that the insect He does not make this movement with the intention of attacking but “it’s simply his habit of life, they fly this way “.

Ugarte explains that there is two types of butterflies that enter homes then there is big which measure two centimeters long and little which measure a maximum of one centimeter.

In this way it indicates that those who are large size, does not hurt, for “they eat neither the clothes nor the food from the pantry. There is no problem, because They feed on grass roots “, although he claims that these “yes they have an effect on agriculture “.

However, in the case of little butterflies which are clumsy to fly and does not necessarily reach the light are Yes, they can “eat the clothes and go to the pantry” because, when this type of insect flies, according to the entomologist, he throws eggs in different directions and from these “a little worm that has the ability to pierce soft plastic.

However, he asserts that, If someone ate these worms, nothing would happen. since these “are not toxic, quite the contrary, They are highly digestible proteins “.

For prevent moths from entering homes Curkovic recommends having a isolation level He therefore advises “wear tights above the knees » or variations thereof.

Added to this are the advice of Ugarte, who comments that it is necessary take the following precautions :

• Keep the windows closed since butterflies are attracted to light.
• Store food in hard plastic or glass containers.
• Do not use insecticides near the dining room, kitchen or pantry, as its use may cause greater damage.

The academic from the University of Chile expresses that, if you already have moths at home, insecticides should not be used because it is better to “turn to specialists” and if you find clothes with holes advise get rid of it because even if an item of clothing is lost, the person will prevent it from happening again.

He further recommends clean and do not leave clothes in the closet for a long time without moving, since they are preferred places for the colonization of the butterfly and the same goes for the food, they should not be exposed “.

Finally, in this same context, Ugarte adds that, for avoid having the eggs that these insects release, the solution is to vacuum . However, he comments that it is not necessary to carry out this action every day, because with “once a month is more than enough » to end this problem.