# Moths by the millions



## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I went out for a hike Saturday around 7000' in elevation. Almost every bush had hundreds of moths in it. I think they are probably laying eggs. There are going to be millions of caterpillars this summer. I've never seen so many moths in one place. 
How much damage can those caterpillars cause to the plants that the deer eat?
Has anyone else seen that many moths where you have been this year?


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I was commenting about the same thing to my wife the other night. They were everywhere in my neighborhood and when I opened the door to go outside, three large moths flew in the door. When I went back inside, two more flew in!

Needless to say, my wife thinks I'm Mr Miagi because I caught all but one mid flight in my hand.


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Do you have any photos? Were they in the maples and oaks? Or other shrubs like snowberry? 

No there is no danger to deer browse. It can actually be beneficial. Depending on the timing and species, it could be really good for grouse as well.


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## mtnrunner260 (Feb 15, 2010)

Hopefully its not that sage defoliator moth.


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

mtnrunner260 said:


> Hopefully its not that sage defoliator moth.


I think it is too early. And at 7000 feet, I would not expect sage to be the dominant brush species.


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Doing some quick reading, if they are laying eggs, which they probably are, for almost all species they are not hatching until next spring. 

Most of what I am familiar with is still a caterpillar right now. 

The moths you are seeing now, would have already been caterpillars this spring. So any damage would already be done. 

Pictures would be cool. I did not have my camera on me two years ago when the hornets were going after oak trees. There were thousands, and you could here them 75 yards away.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

Ok I saw the same thing on my bear hunt but they were caterpillars and I believe they were all over snowberry bushes. I thought it was the reason I had a bear that would leave my bait for days at a time. I just figured he was eating the caterpillars.

My bait was at 7,600 feet


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Did they have tents?


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

I saw those little caterpillars & "tents" all over the place at about 7000' last weekend. We usually see quite a few but there seemed to be an unusually high amount this year... but then again I had my kids searching them out so maybe it was 'cause we were just looking for them.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

I saw no tents just caterpillars


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

In fact my whole back yard is infested with moths. Never seen anything like it


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

A customer said the same thing about his place north of Kemmerer at 8,000', said there were thousands this last weekend.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

I never saw any caterpillars or tents at all.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

ridgetop said:


> I never saw any caterpillars or tents at all.


I seen a D9 and a Springbar.


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## The Naturalist (Oct 13, 2007)

Lonetree said:


> Do you have any photos? Were they in the maples and oaks? Or other shrubs like snowberry?
> 
> No there is no danger to deer browse. It can actually be beneficial. Depending on the timing and species, it could be really good for grouse as well.


 ...and Bears.


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## morvlorv (Mar 30, 2012)

im seeing a whole lot of moths all around the city as well...
my work in West Valley is full of them. Big ones too


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

The Naturalist said:


> ...and Bears.


Definitely.

August could be pretty cool. That is when the big ones come out.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

In the Thorofare, mid-July a few years ago, we watched grizzlies graze on moths. Those bears were eating moths like a hereford cow grazes in a pasture.


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## Lonetree (Dec 4, 2010)

Packout said:


> In the Thorofare, mid-July a few years ago, we watched grizzlies graze on moths. Those bears were eating moths like a hereford cow grazes in a pasture.


Was this the moths in the Talus fields? I have seen the remnants of these, in the rocks and in bear scat, in the Absaroka and Beartooths. But never seen the bears feed on them, or the active moths, I've been told it is really something.


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

I have seen it many times especially on rock slides. Very close to the west entrance of Yellowstone (North Fork of the Shoshone) there is a pass that you drive over with a very large slide and parking area on each side of the road. If the timing is right you can sit there and watch bears turn over rocks from sun up to sun down.

I have seen it several times up at Thorofare, Krandall Creek and Sunlight Basin as well. I am convinced that moths are the favorite of bears.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

http://m.ksl.com/index/story/sid/30181311


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## El Casador (Aug 27, 2009)

They are all over the neighbor hood, they are every where this year, "invasion of the miller moth" throw one on a hook!


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## OKEE (Jan 3, 2008)

It's Kind of like" The walking dead " keeping them out of your home. Good thing they don't bite :grin:. I'm afraid to open the door 10 more fly in.


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## Bucksnbulls08 (Sep 18, 2008)

I saw hundreds of those web clusters full of caterpillars on sage bushes at 9000' last week. First time I have encountered this. Anyone know what kind of moths these become.


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

According to the news. There are a lot more of them heading towards the mountains soon.


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