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The sun rises over an image of Earth, with trees, windmills and birds on the horizon.
(Provided by Gigafact.)

The tan metamorphosed insects with wings resembling the Army’s desert camouflage uniforms have invaded and annoyed people in the state, as they do every summer. But they do not wreak destruction on our wardrobes.

Miller moths do not feed or lay eggs in homes, either, according to Colorado State University Extension bug experts. The moths’ main goal since emerging from their past lives as army cutworms is to reproduce. 

The moths, researchers say, are essential to the environment, pollinating flowers and serving as food for bats and birds.

That doesn’t mean the insects aren’t a nuisance. Besides their irritating abundance as they migrate from eastern Colorado to the Front Range, the bugs can leave stains from a fluid they excrete. Their dead bodies, in large numbers, can also give off an unpleasant odor. Peak moth season lasts about six weeks starting in late May or early June. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

References:

Miller Moths, Colorado State University Extension. Source link.

Questions and Answers about Miller moths, Colorado State University Extension. Source link.

Type of Story: Fact-Check

Checks a specific statement or set of statements asserted as fact.

Justin George is a 1995 graduate of Columbine High School. He has worked as a reporter at six news organizations including the Boulder Daily Camera, the Baltimore Sun and the Washington Post. Email him at justin@coloradosun.com