Cellar Rodents

Paullie · Post by **Paullie** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:43 pm

10 minutes ago I walked down into my cellar only to have a small moth fly at me.

It's the first time I have scene a moth in there. With my torch I took a better look around, noticed quite a few cobwebs which is normal, then a massive daddy long legs on the bottom the the staircase.

I went back up stairs, then 5 minutes later went back down, to discover that the daddy long legs was now feasting on the moth that previously startled me.

I remembered something I was reading on these and similar forums about cork moths.

I don't know what kind of a moth it was, but the spider certainly had no objection in eating it.

The first thing I will do is ensure the insect barriers are intact, and where I have none, I'll install them.

Has anyone else had a moth/moths in their cellar, and how can I tell its a cork moth?

I did quickly inspect the bottle for cork damage, but no damage was evident.

Davo · Post by **Davo** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:50 pm

And April 1st is still some time away :shock:

Red Bigot · Post by **Red Bigot** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:19 am

Did it look like this?

http://www.insects-information.com/unge ... tte-e.html

I suggest you only buy screwcapped wines and you won't have a problem.

Although it's only the most determnined ones that manage to chew through the foil capsule on cork-sealed wines, so you shouldn't lose too many.

Davo · Post by **Davo** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 12:50 pm

It has been reported in :-

Germany,
Italy,
New Zealand,
UK, and
USA

So I suggest you contact the Ag Department if you really think you have one of these rodents in your cellar

Paullie · Post by **Paullie** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:00 pm

OK well good news, it doesn't look like the one in the picture.

I'll let me spiders take care of the rest.