A person was left feeling worried after discovering a dark, oblong-shape in their home, and is no doubt happy they decided to ask for help in discovering what it was
There’s nothing like that sinking feeling in your stomach you get when you see something wriggling on your floor – especially if you don’t know what it is.
So it’s not surprising that when one person discovered a dubious-looking object in their home, they was worried. To make things even worse, the dark object, which had an oblong shape, was ‘wriggling’.
The anonymous person took to social media to see if others could help them identify what it was – and it was a good job they did. Posting a picture of the object, which several joked resembled Mr Hankey from South Park, the person asked on the We Love Mrs Hinch Facebook page: “Does anyone know what this is please? It’s wriggling,” followed by an emoji of someone looking queasy.
Many suggested it could be a leatherjacket, with one person saying the reason being “it’s been so wet”. Another added: “Definitely a leather jacket. They destroy grass,” a third said: “Looks like a leatherjacket.”
Leatherjackets are grubs or larvae or crane-flies, also known as daddy long-legs. The grubs eat the underground parts of plants, including the seeds, which is why they can cause a lot of damage in gardens.
However, most agreed it was something else – a moth pupa. Moth pupa also has a tubular body, but is normally darker and has a little spike at the end. One person explained: “Looks like an elephant hawk moth pupa – they have that little spike on the end (as did the caterpillar) and they wriggle. The moth will be pink and green – quite pretty for a moth.”
Another shared: “That’s a moth Pupa. If it’s wriggling no doubt it will hatch soon.” A third agreed, adding that they should “put it into some bushes outside” so that it doesn’t hatch in their home.
According to Pest Control Berkshire, “a pupa is the life stage that moths and butterflies as well as other insects go through”, and is the ” stage of transformation between larva and adult in a process known as metamorphoses”.
While moths aren’t dangerous to humans, they can cause damage to property, such as clothes, carpets or food. In the UK there are 2,5000 species of moths.
If you have a moth infestation, you’ll most likely want to get rid of them. You could use a professional pest controller, or you can try a DIY method, such as making a cedar spray. Apparently, moths are repelled by the pheramones in cedar, so should stay away if you mix it with water.
You also need to get rid of any larvae that may be present in your home before the infestation grows. Clean any areas where you find larvae or pupae, for example with a vinegar and water solution.
You can buy Cedarwood Oil on Amazon for £9.99, as well as a 5l bottle of white vinegar, which is suitable for cleaning, cooking, baking – and even to kill weeds.
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