Moth invasion sweeps metro Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - They get in your homes, cars and in your face, they are of course moths.

KRQE News 13 has received a number of calls and emails about what some people are calling "Mothageddon."  One even sent in a video of a backyard swarm.

Bug experts say about all you can do right now is swat them away and just deal with them. It's really the only defense you have until the  miller moths die off or leave.

The blame for all this lies in the drought and dry winter we've just experienced.

Most are coming in from the mountains looking for water and food. There is little for the insects to feast on water wise. They're looking for water in neighborhood yards or along the Rio Grande.

As for calling an exterminator, Richard "The Bug Man" Fagerlund says there's no need to call one, just keep a watchful eye out.

"Yeah, just let 'em go," says Fagerlund. "They're not going to breed in your yard it's way damp at this time, they're going to try and get some moisture and get something to eat and then leave."

The recent influx of moths should taper off around June according to Fagerlund.

The Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service expects the infestation to peak in the middle of May and warns the moths in their larval stage can damage seedling plants.

The only relief to lowering the number of moths is rain.  However, if we have another dry summer in New Mexico, you can expect the moths will be back in high number come fall.

More Information:

• Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service

How to get rid of miller moths:

• Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Service