How to get rid of Night Butterfly

Night butterflies, also known as moths, belong to the order Lepidoptera, alongside diurnal butterflies and caterpillars, which are actually moth or butterfly larvae. Most moths are nocturnal or crepuscular while most butterflies are diurnal. There are however exceptions, including the sometimes-diurnal gypsy moth or the sunset moths. There are other differences between them, such as the way they rest their wings, the form and colours of their wings, and most importantly their significance to humans, as only moths are considered pests, while butterflies are known to be quite beneficial insects.
Moths are pretty harmless looking, but they can cause a lot of damage to a home, depending on what type of moth you are dealing with. There are clothes moths and food moths that create can damage, if left untreated, but they can also cause problems to your garden in their caterpillar form.

Depending on the type of moth you are dealing with, there are several types of control, and ways to stop such an infestation. They can also be considered beneficial, as they serve as food to many creatures such as bats and the caterpillars are fed by birds to their young. Before taking action against them, asses what type of moth infestation you are facing, and decide if they are indeed harmful or beneficial to have around. There are also the types of moths that are farmed for their economic value. The most notable of these is the silkworm, the larva of the domesticated moth Bombyx mori. It is farmed for the silk with which it builds its cocoon.

Getting rid of caterpillars

Depending on the specie, infestations of caterpillars can occur at different times during the year. Many species lay eggs in the fall that will hatch in the spring, or others will repeat this cycle of life several times over a season. With their cutting and chewing mouthparts, also known as mandibles, these insects can cause an exceptional amount of damage if not treated early-on or prevented. The damage they can cause can be so severe that the whole crop can be affected to the point of total loss. If the infestation happens to trees, they might survive a few years of continuous defoliation, but when taking into consideration normal crops, an infestation in a single season can cause irreversible damage.
The first thing you need to do when dealing with a caterpillar infestation is knowing what type of specie you are dealing with. Caterpillars that are pale green with stripes running down the back are cabagge loopers, which are the larva of a brown and green moth. They prefer eating collard greens, lettuce and kale. If you are fighting caterpillars in August and September, you might me dealing with corn earworm, which also like to eat beans, lettuce leaves and tomatoes. And if the plants in your garden are showing signs that they are chewed off at the base, you are probably dealing with cutworms, as they prefer eating the stems of asparagus, cabbage, carrots, corn, and tomatoes.

As control methods, you can use organic and chemical treatments as well. The most common ways of fighting caterpillars that are affecting your crop is by:

• Spraying the foliage of plants with neem oil;
• Dusting plant foliage with Bacillus thuringiensis powder, natural bacteria that kills caterpillars;
• Invite birds and predatory insects into your garden;
• over vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli with fine mesh;
• Practice crop rotation to cut down on caterpillar infestation;
• Plant herbs such as lavender, mugwort, sage and peppermint, thyme, rosemary around your garden as many insects dislike their scent, including caterpillars:
• Intercropping with such repelling plants is another way to confuse caterpillars;
• When dealing with infested trees, cut down the nests and burn them.

Spraying concentrated insecticides for Night Butterflies control:

Concentrated insecticides are the most common used products in fighting insect infestations. They provide the safety that any insect coming into contact with the treated surfaces dies shortly.

Sprayers used for Night Butterflies control:

The equipment needed for a professional Pest Control Operator depends on the type of pest the treatment is made against, and if the treated surface is indoors or outdoors. Sprayers help in applying products meant to reach difficult places, as well as guaranteeing an economic control of the treatment application.

You can also purchase chemical based pesticides, but be careful to use one that is specifically designed to work against caterpillars, and it will not affect the beneficial insects in your garden. Pest control made against caterpillars can be done by using aerosol insecticide onto the vegetation, whether it is a garden or an orchard that has been affected. An atomizer can be used, or a low-pressure sprayer. We recommend the use of Deltamethrin products, which are based on synthetic pyrethroids, which are some of the he safest classes of pesticides. In small amounts, it is generally considered safe to use around humans, and it can be applied in agricultural uses as well as home pest control. You can find more details in our article regarding ways in which to get rid of caterpillars.

Foggers for Night Butterflies control:

Cold foggers use cold spraying methods, which in most cases is using a high air pressure to spray out the fogging liquid into tiny particles. they are also known as ULV fogger, and as opposed to thermal foggers, they do not use heat to vaporize the fogging liquid.

Getting rid of moths of clothes

The presence of moths of clothes is easily recognisable by the damage they cause. You can quickly see you are dealing with an infestation once you notice your clothes are affected. If you can see tiny holes in your clothing items, you can be sure that moths are making their way through your wardrobe already. Be sure to check especially clothes made out with wool, feathers, fur, and silk. If your clothes are also looking dusty, discoloured or have a dusty smell, that is also a sign of their presence, as is webbing in the corners of your closet.
Lavender, mint, dried rosemary, thyme, cloves, or bay leaves can be used against moths of clothes as well. Essential oils based on these plants are also useful. You can dab cotton balls and place them in the corners of your closet, to deter the moths away. Cedar chips can also be placed in your closet, as they will act as a deterrent against these pests.
Pheromone traps are also useful natural repellents, that act by attracting and killing the moths, prohibiting them to further mate. Containing no pesticides, these traps use pheromone lures, also known as sexual attractants, to capture moths. These lure male moths to a tray containing female pheromones. As the males get stuck to the tray, and the pheromone powder sticks to their body, they remain trapped and seem to be females to other moths, thus ending their breeding possibilities. Adhesive traps can have either a pheromone base attractant that is irresistible to moths, or they can contain a food attractant. Either way, the moths will be drawn to the traps and then get stuck on the adhesive.

When it comes to chemical control methods against moths of clothes, moth balls are the most common repellent when it comes to using chemicals against these insects. They contain pesticides, which can become dangerous as they release a fumigant gas. When dealing with a big infestation, you can take action against them with a ULV sprayer or an aerosol insecticide. Placing a Solfac A in the middle of the room and leaving it to take effect for 4-6 hours can get you rid of a bigger infestation. It is recommended that the room is closed for maximum efficiency of mist disinfection, and it is important to open up all the closets as well, and spread out the clothes in the room. As the aerosol fills the room, the insecticide will kill the moths of clothes, be they adult or in the egg or larval state. After using the insecticide, you need to air the room for 1-2 hours, before being able to stay inside it. When choosing a chemical treatment against these insects, be very careful, as some can be dangerous to your family or pets as well. You can find more natural and chemical methods of control regarding these pests in our article about ‘How to get rid of Clothes Moths’.

Getting rid of food moths

Food moths are easily recognisable through their sighting. However, that means that you are already dealing with an infestation. The presence of webbing onto various food items is also a sign of their presence. As they can easily spread throughout the house, handling a food moth infestation is quite difficult. Therefore, even if you have identified the source of the infestation, you will probably need to treat the entire household.
The first step you need to take when you want to get rid of the moths in your pantry is to go through the items you have there, especially through the oldest ones. Eliminating the source of the problem is the next step. Throw away any item infested and seal it in a plastic bag, as you do not want them to fly or crawl out of there. Cleaning out your pantry is the next step. This must be done thoroughly, to make sure you eliminate all the possible larvae or eggs that remained. Make sure you dry everything after cleaning them, as moths prefer humid spaces, and you do not want to provide them with such an environment.

Empty the shelves and clean them completely, vacuuming every corner and washing the shelves with soapy water, or a mixture of water and vinegar and peppermint oil is the best way of quickly cleaning your pantry. Make sure to quickly take away the trash after cleaning, and when restocking your pantry, do not buy many products or large quantities. Keeping them fresh and buying the amount that you need in a short period of time will help you avoid the development of other infestations.
Heat or cold can both be used to kill any larvae or eggs, and, thus, you can put respective food items into the freezer, leaving them there between 2-3 days. Oven heating at 48-60°C for around 20 minutes constitutes the heat treatment you can use, but attention must be paid so that it does not end up ruining the foods. You can use these methods to prevent an infestation as well, and treat the produce immediately after buying them, before putting them in your pantry.
It has been proven that moths can also be deterred from an area by using essential oils with which you can make a water mixture, use a low-pressure sprayer, or you can scrub the infested areas, to repel moths.

Traps for Night Butterflies control:

Traps, such as electronic zappers, are able to kill night moths without you having to run after them around your house. They are effective, and can be used on a larger scale.

In terms of active treatments against moths, insecticides are not recommended, mostly because they can be harmful to the items that are kept in the areas where moths are usually found. By far, the most widely recommended way of getting rid of food moths is through the use of nontoxic traps, which stop the development of adult moths and thus lead to their destruction. These pheromone traps are quite effective, as even if you eliminate only half the population, it will still render the remaining ones unable to mate, so it is a useful way of monitoring the infestation.

For more detail on ‘How to get rid of Food Moths’, visit our related article, and keep in mind that a combination of efforts is always best when fighting an infestation. By applying methods that both repel and remove them, it will be more likely that you manage to take care of the moth infestation and also prevent their reappearance. Make sure that you keep a sanitised house, a garden and yard that do not provide a hospitable environment to caterpillars and always try to prevent an infestation from occurring, rather than struggling to fight it.