Five moths in my room now. (spider, spiders, Michigan)

[Harrier]

The screen fell off of the window, so the moths had a clear entrance in when I opened the window.

I feel like I am in the basement of the serial killer from Silence of the Lambs.

Spider webs are in all the corners - the spiders are rather beneficial, so I leave them be.

Anyways - there are two really big moths and 3 very small ones.

I don't mind them much, but I also don't want to cut them off from their food supply.

Should I try to get them back outside or just let them become meals for the spiders?

[jackmichigan]

Just put them outside. Don't touch them with your hands as that could rub the coating off their wings. Best to use a wide-mouth glass jar and coax them in with a stiff sheet of paper, which you can then use to cover the jar.

[Harrier]

Update - at least two of the small ones got caught in the spider web and are still there.

I suppose that either the spider has left or is saving the leftovers for later.

The others seem to be gone.

I did leave my window open, so perhaps they flew outside.

I initially wanted to leave the window closed to keep other moths from entering - but it seem that no more came inside.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tjN2dt8-rs

[OwlKaMyst]

In regards to your spider webs and the moths stuck in them.
If the moth is still there and not wrapped up, then there is no spider tending to that web.
Also a spider is not going to 'eat' the moth, spiders suck the fluids out of their meals and leave a 'shell' of the creature caught.
When I first read about your spider webs, I wondered if the webs were vacant. Spiders do not usually keep a web around, or remain at a web for a long time. Especially if there is not much food. A spider will abandon a web and move on to better 'hunting grounds'.
If you do not see a spider at the web, off in the corner or on the edge, then the web is 'useless' and anything caught in it is wasted so to speak.
If the web is in a good spot, then a spider will tend to the web, fixing it, or consume it and rebuild in the same spot. But again, if there is no spider, then it's a useless web. Clean it up for it will only collect dust, lose its 'sticky' and slowly fall apart- not to mention, become an eyesore.

When something is caught in a web, the victim will try to escape causing the web to shake. This prompts the spider to come and tend to it's prey. It will either wrap it up, release it, or have a picnic right then and there. Either way, once a spider is done with it's meal, it cleans up. The 'leftovers' are removed from the web. A spider wants its web to be non-detectable as possible and keeping anything stuck in the web is not a benefit to the spider.

How long have the webs been up? Do you see the spiders?

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by OwlKaMyst

How long have the webs been up? Do you see the spiders?

The spiders were not there - and the webs had been up for a while.

[Harrier]

Hmmm, well I should have remembered this thread last night and taken the advice of how to put the moths outside.

Screen fell of again, a big moth came in, and couldn't find the window opening to leave.

This morning I found it on the window ledge and it appears to be dead.

Is it common for a moth to die so suddenly, and what would cause it to do so?

Exhaustion?

[Harrier]

Update - the moth is alive.

Does that mean that it was just asleep because it was daytime?

[jackmichigan]

Originally Posted by Harrier

Update - the moth is alive.

Does that mean that it was just asleep because it was daytime?

Quite possibly. I don't think they play 'possum.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by jackmichigan

Quite possibly. I don't think they play 'possum.

OK.

Its still there and has moved slightly.

The window is open and Harrier won't touch the moth anymore per the above admonishment.

If the moth goes out after dark, then all is well.