Last updated on May 10th, 2022 at 12:11 am
Hummingbird moths are as big as small birds and can be easy to mistake for a hummingbird. Like hummingbirds, they drink nectar from flowers and are generally harmless to humans.
Hummingbird moths can’t hurt you. However, their larvae can destroy plants and gardens, so they’re often considered a nuisance. You can keep them at bay by tilling your garden in the spring and removing any caterpillars that come to feed on the plants.
Why a Hummingbird Moth Can’t Hurt You
Hummingbird moths do not bite, sting, or harm humans.
They are treated as pests because of their effect on gardens, not because of any danger they pose to people.
That said, there are moth species that do pose a risk to humans, like vampire moths, which are generally smaller and less bird-like than the large, fuzzy hummingbird moth.
Hummingbird moths belong to one of 17 different species, and they are often mistaken for hummingbirds due to their size.
These species include the following:
- Hummingbird Hawk-Moths
- Sphinx moths
- Common Clearwing Hummingbird Moths
- Five-Spotted Hawk Moths
- White-Lined Sphinxes
- Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth
Though their larvae can be a problem, these moths are helpful pollinators that do more good than harm in a garden.
Hummingbird moth caterpillars, like the adults, pose no threat to humans but can still be considered a nuisance.
Common caterpillar species in this category include tomato hornworms and tobacco hornworms because they are avid garden plant-eaters.
Which Moths Can Hurt You?
Some moths, known as vampire moths, can hurt you and will bite humans with a proboscis, which are little projections used to suck.
Additionally, at least 50 caterpillar species can sting or irritate human skin.
Some moth larvae can cause a severe allergic reaction in humans, including hives, itching, and pain.
If you develop these symptoms after close contact with a caterpillar, seek medical assistance in case the symptoms get worse.
Usually, the impacts of the toxins are mild in humans, but it’s best to check with a doctor to be sure that you’re alright.
Everyone’s reactions to allergens are different.
How To Recognize a Hummingbird Moth
Since some moths pose a threat and others do not, it’s helpful to differentiate between species.
Hummingbird moths are about two inches long, covered in grey hair-like feathers. They also have white or brown markings, which vary.
Some hummingbird moths, like the Snowberry Clearwing, have clear wings, while others have colored wings.
Vampire moths are smaller, with a 33-30 mm wingspan. Their wings are light brown with ridges and darker brown bands.
They’re also uncommon in the United States and Western Europe but are found more commonly in southeast Asia, eastern Africa, China, Japan, and India.
Why Are Hummingbird Moths Considered a Nuisance?
Hummingbird moths, like hummingbirds, fly from flower to flower, drinking nectar for food.
In fact, many gardeners mistake hummingbird moths for birds, hence their name.
Like birds, they play a mostly positive role in garden ecosystems, but still, their many offspring can be a problem sometimes worth addressing.
Hummingbird moths are considered a nuisance because their larvae eat and destroy garden plants like honeysuckle, dogbane, hawthorn, cherry, or plum trees.
These larvae, also called tomato hornworm caterpillars, can also chew their way through vegetables like eggplant, potatoes, and peppers.
These moths are found throughout the United States, from coast to coast and North to South.
Different hummingbird moths are found in different regions, but all share the same basic characteristics, and all of them are considered threats to garden plants.
Tomato hornworms are difficult to spot, but you can sometimes find them by looking out for droppings near your garden plants.
How To Keep Hummingbird Moths Out of Your Garden
Hummingbird moths lay their eggs on different plants, then their larvae eat and destroy those plants as they get older.
You can destroy them by picking the caterpillars off the plant and dropping them in a soapy solution, or you can till your garden in the spring to disrupt these and other insects.
Or, you can clip off infected branches from the plant and dispose of those.
Tomato hornworms and other kinds of hummingbird moth larvae can be difficult to spot, but their effects on the plant’s health are easy to see and diagnose.
Additionally, there are natural controls for hummingbird moths that can take care of the problem for you.
For example, some parasitic wasp species will take over tomato hornworms and prevent them from eating plants or growing into adult hummingbird moths.
Allowing these wasps to take over the caterpillars undisturbed is one way you can bring balance to your garden.
Benefits of Having Hummingbird Moths in Your Garden
Although tomato hornworms and other hummingbird moth larvae can be a problem for biodiversity in gardens, their adult counterparts are beneficial.
Adult hummingbird moths, also called hawk moths, are valuable pollinators.
If you decide to let hummingbird moths reproduce and thrive in your garden, you may see that certain plants benefit from it.
Hummingbird moths are also intriguing to watch, as they are insects roughly the size of birds.
They have intricately detailed wings and flutter around similarly to a hummingbird, so you can imagine that watching them is entertaining.
They’ll even continue dancing through the air far into the evening.
How To Attract Hummingbird Moths
If you ultimately decide that you want to attract hummingbird moths, you can try planting the kinds of plants they’re attracted to in your garden.
Hummingbird moths are nectar-drinkers, so they’ll be most attracted to tubular flowers from which they can harvest food.
Hummingbird moths have four-inch long tongues, so they can reach the bottom of most flowers.
Some plants that would attract hummingbird moths include:
- Bee balm
- Moonflower
- Trumpet flower
- Morning glories
- Cleome
- Flowering tobacco
- Primrose
- Petunia
- Honeysuckle
- Impatiens
- Butterfly bush
- Jasmine
As larvae, hummingbird moths prefer honeysuckle and snowberry plants.
Remember that you can attract hummingbird moths without endangering your vulnerable plants simply by planting their favorites far away from your favorites.
Hummingbird moths will gladly go for cherry or plum trees, so most gardeners try to keep them separated from those plants.