# moths in baled alfalfa?



## kimber55 (Aug 20, 2009)

Help! I am located N. of Richmond, VA
We baled about 300 bales of 2nd cutting alfalfa around July 4th. It is for our Shire horse and Irish Draught. It has been in the big hay barn curing until we moved it this past weekend to the smaller barn attached via breezeway to the barn/cabin.
I just looked opened hay door and turned on light and tons of moths came up from the hay...these were not moths that just appeared and were attracted to the light I just turned on.
What are these? What caused them? Are they a problem? If so, how do I get rid of them?
We are tenents on a farm run by an elderly couple that used to attempt to grow equine hay...they have about 200+acres mostly orchard except for about 10 acres alfalfa.
Thank you in advance for any advice


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Personally I've never heard of such a thing. Maybe ask another local grower?


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## nwfarmer (Jun 16, 2009)

Depending on the year about this time of year we get millions of those moths. I don't think they are actually in your hay. I suspect they are hiding between the bales. We have a couple of tool sheds where they hide between all the cracks and crevices. We use aerosol bombs. Since there is hay inside your barn you should check the ingredients for disipation rates. Some of the newer aerosol bombs are not flamable.


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## Heyhay..eh (Aug 7, 2009)

It is unlikely that the moths come from the hay.Though I have seen a lot of small white moths around canola fields I don't know of any that infest hay. It is probably safe to assume that the moths are in the building as suggested. Look for a product KONK. It can be set up with an electric applicator to spray a mist on an interval that you set. I have seen this used in food plants around, but not in, production areas. Best to cover the hay if you are going to use any insecticides.

When you have the barn empty next time it might be the opportunity to get aggressive and fumigate the place.

Take care


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