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Evening Moths

Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
edited September 2021 in Wildlife gardening
Several moths have found my garden recently.  They frequent all my flower patches in the evening and empty out all the nectar.  Unlike the bees who used to buzz around together, taking a little bit of nectar all day every day, these few moths stay long on each flower and suck out every drop of nectar.  My poor gorgeous Bumbles and Honey bees who used to share the flowers came a couple of mornings, found a desert there, and have flown away for good.

I am thinking I should put a butterfly net over at least some of the patches of flowers at sundown to save them for my bees, leaving a couple of patches for the evening moths.

Sigh!  It will add to my already crowded evening and morning rituals.

Has anyone else had moths empty out the nectar in their flowers in the evenings?  
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  • Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
    What I thought was a hummingbird was actually a Hummingbird Moth, emptying out the nectar in my Salvia patches.  Not enamoured with it. 

    https://www.farmersalmanac.com/hummingbird-moth-32556

    I will put butterfly nets over my Salvia patches at sundown to save some nectar for my Bumbles and Honey bees.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,737
    There are no hummingbirds in the UK. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
    edited September 2021
    Yes, it was this bizarre moth.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,737
    Plants continue to produce nectar as long as the flowers are open. Moths will not empty them. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
    I hope so.  My Bumble bees who used to buzz outside my window all day are all gone after the moths found my Salvia patches.  I just bought butterfly nets to protect them at night so that bees will find come back to my window again.
  • SkandiSkandi Posts: 1,618
    What do you have against the moths? They need to live as well. Bees are winding down at this time of year which is why you are seeing less of them, only the queens will survive the winter. (bumblebees that is)
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,737
    edited September 2021
    Tubular flowers can only be accessed and pollinated by insects with longer mouthparts like the hummingbird hawk and other moths and particular types of bees with longer mouthparts.  

    https://www.foxleas.com/insects-and-flowers.asp

    Interestingly some types of bees have found that they can access the nectar of runner bean flowers by biting through the tube of the flower. However this does not pollenate the flower and results in a poor crop where these bees have been active. 

    The bees that were in your garden have probably moved in to other gardens with other more suitable flowers.  They do not stick to one garden … they range over quite a large area and communicate to each other where to find pollen and nectar. 

    PS Hummingbird hawk moths are daytime fliers …. not night moths. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
    edited September 2021
    Skandi said:
    What do you have against the moths? They need to live as well. Bees are winding down at this time of year which is why you are seeing less of them, only the queens will survive the winter. (bumblebees that is)
    Really?!  What happens to the hardworking worker Bumble bees?

    I will protect only 2 or 3 patches of flowers and leave the other for them to ravage after sundown.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 82,737
    Jac19 said:
    Skandi said:
    What do you have against the moths? They need to live as well. Bees are winding down at this time of year which is why you are seeing less of them, only the queens will survive the winter. (bumblebees that is)
    Really?!  What happens to the hardworking worker Bumble bees?
    They die. 
    “I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh







  • Jac19Jac19 Posts: 496
    edited September 2021
    > Tubular flowers can only be accessed and pollinated by insects with longer
    >  mouthparts like the hummingbird hawk moths and particular types of
    > bees with longer mouthparts.  

    Bumble bees and some honey bees have been loving hanging and collecting nectar on my red Salvia Royal Bumbles (aptly named after them) and powder blue Salvia African Skies - Bog Sage.  Happily, a couple are still visiting my Bog Sage.
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