They come in especially when it starts to get more hot as this time of year. But what attracts the moths to our homes is not the light, as we think: it is something that is much closer to us.
Much because they fly around the lamps when they see them, it is believed that the moths enter our home in search of light, but this longtime belief has been challenged by science.
In their natural environment, the moths do not follow the light without thinking: they use the moon as a navigation reference, as explained.
Artificial lights, such as lamps and incandescent lamps, confuse this evolved orientation system, causing these boring insects for many people, because although harmless, some specimens destroy clothes – flying in circles instead of being attracted to the light itself.
But according to new studies the true reason why moths enter our homes has more to do with the smell than with light. More specifically, our smell and the environment of the house.
As Moths are attracted by the odors of sweat -soaked clothing, wet environments, poorly stored foods and even certain cleaning products or synthetic fabrics. These smells are for them a sign of shelter, food or reproduction opportunities.
Our homes are like a buffet for the moths. Even the moths Tineola bisselliella that destroy the clothes do not eat the fabric, but microscopic traces of skin and sweat left in our clothes.
An investigation from the University of Washington in the Royal Society shows that some species of moths respond intensely to human volatile compounds – many of which we do not even consciously perceive.
As climate change They may also be contributing to this trend. With increasing longer temperatures and hot stations, moth populations are expanding to urban areas. Modern houses provide an ideal habitat.
