Bad Year For Moths?

Stewy · #1 (**permalink**) 03-09-2007, 11:43 PM

I'm no Moth expert and only started to take a bit of an interest last Summer when there seemed to be loads of them about in the house/garden but this year I have hardly seen any.

Is this down to the weather or am I just unlucky in not attracting them?

m1.carson · #2 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 02:46 AM

Hi stewy,

I've said the same thing on several posts, but the collectors say differently, there really isn't the quantity about that were even last year, and working nights I tended to see them flying against the sodium lamps, with the magpies picking up the remnants in the morning.

Perhaps we live in the wrong part of the country.

Max.

aeshna5 · #3 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 06:06 AM

There's been lots of grumbling on UK Moths at how poor the catches have been in recent months. Also there seem to be less migrants- last Saturday saw my 1st Silver-Y since about June, normally see tons of them.

Wild-Woman · #4 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 06:36 AM

I know a chap who has moth'ed 365 days a year for the last 30 years. He said that he has had only 25% of the amount he usually bags annually. When I see him next, I'll ask if there's another year he can look up, in his records, that was like this.

goosey · #5 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 06:48 AM

I am the same as Stewy and only started being interested in moths Last year, so I can't draw on years of experience to comment.This year the numbers and varieties have been down, last year Silver Y's swarmed to the lavender and buddleia, this year I have never seen more than two at the same time. I think the spring was better for micro moths than the summer has been, the macros a real dissapointment.

John · #6 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 07:17 AM

For me its been a bit up and down. One day I can get 150+ moths in three hours and yet on another night (with similar weather conditions) I can struggle to get 60+ moths.

I have been catching a few migrants and over the last week a lot of Migrants have been around (Great Brocade's for example) but I agree that numbers overall are down.

I am in the Warwickshire moth yahoo group forum and also the garden scheme forum and on both of them the general consensus of opinion is that the numbers are well down.

John

paulchandler6 · #7 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 07:45 AM

Hi, Moth numbers are down here, last few years have attracted quite a few, but this year has been sparse in numbers and species. Have only had 1 Silver-Y in the garden this year when have usually seen many. Cheers

Stewy · #8 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aeshna5

There's been lots of grumbling on UK Moths at how poor the catches have been in recent months. Also there seem to be less migrants- last Saturday saw my 1st Silver-Y since about June, normally see tons of them.

I've not seen one Silver Y this year, last year there were loads of 'em.

John · #9 (**permalink**) 04-09-2007, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stewy

I've not seen one Silver Y this year, last year there were loads of 'em.

I must admit I have been fairly lucky with Silver Y's having trapped them most days recently, albeit in most cases singles. Having said that I would expect to trap them in larger numbers than this.

John