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Saturday, October 26, 2002
Potentially Destructive Moths Feed on Flower Nectar
By Dick Fagerlund
For the Journal
The letters highlighted this week are the second batch of questions sent to me from fifth-grade students at Montezuma Elementary School. I greatly appreciate the efforts of teacher Francesca Blueher, who shares my column with her class.
Click to enlarge
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, I just wanted to know what this bug is. It looks like a hummingbird. It also has stripes on it. It has bigger eyes than a hummingbird, but I know it is not a hummingbird. I see it outside. It likes the pink flowers in my yard. Could you tell me what it is and what it does? — Avry
A: Avry, it is a sphinx moth. There are many different kinds. Some of them are destructive in the caterpillar stage, such as the tomato hornworm. The moths you see on the flowers are feeding on nectar.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, I like caterpillars, but not tomato worms. They look sort of the same to me. What is the difference? — Struever
A: Tomato worms (hornworms) are large, greenish and have a long projection on their rear end. Very few other caterpillars look just like them.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, We have a huge cottonwood tree in our back yard. We have found big, fat, black and white beetles eating the bark. We have also found them in the house. We are afraid they are hurting the tree. How can we get rid of them without hurting the tree? — Thank you, Tim
A: Tim, those are cottonwood borers. A few of them won't hurt a good, strong tree.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, every time I've taken a shower for the past few days there has been a spider in the shower. This spider looks a lot like a daddy long legs, but I don't know if it is. I think this is because it has long legs and a tiny body and looks like it has two sections of a body. I really don't like the look of spiders, but when the water would hit the spider it would shrivel up and fall down the drain. That makes me feel bad for them. Why are the spiders in my shower and not anywhere else in the house or yard? — Mariah
A: Mariah, it is a pholcid spider and it is probably coming through your bathroom window. They are harmless spiders.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, there are lots of moths by my house. They always fly at my house when we turn on the light. Why do moths like light? I would also like for you to tell me why flies like laying eggs in food. — Dakota
A: Dakota, moths use moonlight to navigate, and since the moon is so far away they are able to fly in a straight line while keeping an eye on the light. Artificial light is so close that the moths become confused and fly in spirals around it.
As for the flies, they lay their eggs in food so that the baby flies (maggots) have something to eat when they hatch out.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, FLIES! Our house is under attack! The flies are always here. We have two dogs and we scoop up their poop every two days. We have a pool and wood bark everywhere. We also live near the Big I. Could this be why? — Jourdan
A: Jourdan, all of those factors, the pool, wood bark and dog poop will encourage flies. Not too much you can do about it except what you are already doing.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, how can I get rid of bees and not get rid of praying mantis? — (No Name)
A: As long as you have flowers you will have bees. That is not bad as the flowers need the bees to help pollinate them. Leave them alone and they won't bother you.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, I live across from a park where there are lots of cicadas, and lots of them come into our yard. I'm afraid they might eat our plants. At night they make a lot of noise. How can I get rid of them so they don't come back? — (No Name)
A: Cicadas do not do much damage to plants. It is best to leave them alone and enjoy the music they make.
Q: Dear Mr. Bugman, in my garden there are bugs that are harmful to the plants like tomato worms and bugs that aren't. The plants in my garden are corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, carrots and scallions. How should I get rid of the bad bugs without killing the good bugs and harming the plants? — (No Name)
A: You will have to learn which bad bugs like your veggies and which good bugs don't. Once you learn the difference, you can control the bad bugs. A good resource is "The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control." Every gardener should have it. Ask your parents to pick up a copy.
Dick Fagerlund, a board certified entomologist, is currently the integrated pest manager at the University of New Mexico. If you have any questions for the Bugman, you can e-mail him at fagerlun@unm.edu or mail him at P.O. Box 1173, Corrales, NM 87048. His book, "Ask the Bugman," based on his nationally distributed column, is available at most bookstores or on his Web site (for a signed copy) at www.askthebugman.com.
