There is a world of tiny and beautiful moths out there that most of us will never see unless we go looking for them. These are micro-moths, so small that their patterns and colors can be difficult to see with the naked eye. Many are no larger than a pencil point or pinhead. But many are incredibly beautiful, rivaling the prettiest butterflies or birds. There are almost certainly hundreds of different species in a typical backyard in East Brunswick all going about their ways unnoticed. Many have shapes and patterns that are amazing. A close look with a magnifying glass or a macro-lens and enlarging on the computer reveals moths that are as incredible as the tiny worlds in "Horton Hears A Who" and in "Men In Black." I have attached a few photos of some of these moths from the past few days that I have found in my backyard.   

I look for moths most warm nights in my backyard in East Brunswick using special lights that attract them. While I realize this isnt for everybody, the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission run monthly moth nights at our local parks for anyone interested. Like all Friends events these are free. Our moth nights have won many awards and we encourage everybody to come out and give it a try. We help everybody to see the moths and try to identify as many as we can.

Our next moth night will be July 27 or 28 (depending on the weather) and will be part of National Moth Week. National Moth Week is a project of the Friends and originated from our local moth nights. We decided to start something nationwide, not really knowing where it would go. It has taken off incredibly and there are now National Moth Week events and participants in 40 states, 2 Canadian Provinces and 10 countries. Check out the National Moth Week website for all kinds of cool information on moths and to find a moth night event near you. And, of course, join us in July as we celebrate National Moth Week in East Brunswick.  

As those of us that are into moths say, Happy Mothing!