Moth increase is not a pest: specialists ask not to kill them



[ad_1]

Are there more moths in your house? Specialists explain that this is due to an increase in its reproduction, having had higher humidity and therefore more vegetation this year ”.

According to Isabel Del Real, academic at the School of Agronomy of the U. Mayor and entomologist “in general the influencing factors are environmental”. “By having more food, the insects are ready to lay more eggs, most of them survive,” he explained.

“There is no significant damage”

But the current amount, “does not give the conditions to speak of plague”, explained Tomislav Curkovic, academic of the Faculty of Cs. agronomic U. of Chile. “When we talk about pests, insects generate significant damage. For example, in plantations, they attack stems or fruits directly ”, he added. According to the academic from the University of Chile, “this is a normal phenomenon, which perhaps due to a slight increase in temperatures, could have a greater magnitude.”

moth Meter file

Although it does not rule out that we are more aware of the presence of these visitors at home by spending more hours in it as a result of the quarantine. Both specialists call not to kill the moths, because they do not hurt.

Why do you have to get them out of the house, without killing them?

“In addition, they can be a relevant factor in the pollination, or feeding of other species”, complements Luis Salamanca, academic of Engineering in Safety and Risk Prevention and environment at the Andrés Bello University.

Salamanca recommends “taking them out of the house by opening the windows with the light off, and generating a stream of air with a towel, like a whirlpool, so the moth will try to get out.” Capturing it with a mesh, or keeping the windows closed when the lights are turned on are other recommendations of the specialists consulted.

professor Tomislav Curkovic, professor at the University of Chile. / U. From Chile

Tomislav Curkovic: “It is not a plague, they do not hurt”

In an interview with Publimetro, the entomologist and academic from the Faculty of Cs. Agronomic Sciences of the University of Chile clarified several doubts about this phenomenon.

Why do you think this plague was generated?

I disagree with that statement. It is not a plague, because they do not hurt. To be considered a pest, it must have a measurable impact

What does the current phenomenon respond to?

What is observed is a phenomenon that occurs every year. But sometimes it has a slightly higher magnitude.

How long will the moths be present?

They are moths that live a couple of months throughout their life, from larvae to adulthood. Now they could be until December.

How often does this phenomenon occur?

It can occur three or four times a year.

Why do people fear them?

Unawareness But the moths do not attack, they do not bite or bite. They tend to have a clumsy flight, which is why people sometimes react with fear. Because they think they are approaching with some intention, but they are only escaping.

Is there a relationship between its appearance and the weather?

Its development is related and with this warmer spring, the cycles can be sped up a bit. But they are only slightly modified

Other strange phenomena of the national fauna

The specialists consulted pointed to other phenomena that have been observed in recent weeks:

Birds sing in the early morning

According to specialists, this could be due to the increase in LED lighting in the city, which is causing the birds to have a confusing behavior. Have you heard them? They are singing at unusual times, like 1 or 2 AM in certain areas.

bird Capture

Pumas going down to urban areas

Due to the variation in the flora, the pumas would be mobilizing to find new sources of food and hydration, this due to the occupation of their areas. A few weeks ago, several cases were announced in the commune of Las Condes.

Pumas Getty

Great presence of “chinitas”

Having had a slightly wetter year than the previous one, generated an increase in plants, which could encourage the increase in the reproduction of certain insects. By having more food available, chinitas would be one of the species that increased their reproduction.

CHILDREN Capture



[ad_2]