Winter is coming, the nights are getting longer, and now’s the time to see more moths flying around. Not all moths fly at night – some prefer daylight – but many prefer the dark and love nothing more than fluttering around your bright lightbulbs (though nobody quite knows why they do this)!
Did you know that there are over 2,000 different types of moth? Many more than butterflies! Some moths are grey or brown and furry, which makes it hard for birds and bats to spot them and eat them. Some have bold and bright patterns – a little bit like butterflies.Many moths have fun names – there’s the black Chimney Sweeper, the pretty Silky Wave, the bold Scarlet Tiger or how about our very favourite, the Yellow Belle? We found this amazing Leopard Moth in our garden at Bellevue - aren’t his spots fab?
Moths are one of the little bugs that Butterfly Belle looks after, and they need her help! Just like butterflies, the number of moths is falling, so if you spot one in your garden, try not to touch it, as you may damage its wings. Here are some more things you can do to help moths in your garden.
- Don’t keep your garden too tidy and let the lawn grow long! Keep fallen leaves in your borders, too, as they make a cosy home for moths to hide in over winter.
- Try not to use chemicals in your garden, like pesticides, or try to use organic ones.
- Make sure there’s some green space in your garden. Moths love small trees and shrubs, but they can’t live on decking or in paving slabs.
- Moth caterpillars love to eat wild plants like honeysuckle and ivy, and weeds like dandelions and nettles, so if you have room in your garden, make a ‘wild space’ just for moths.
You can find out more about helping moths at Butterfly Conservation and remember, we love to see your photos so if you spot any moths in your garden, take a picture and send it in to us and we’ll post them here in the Flutterbud Club!
Love and magic dust from the Magic Belles in Bellevue xxx
