What is a Moth Crawl?

A moth crawl is like a pub crawl, without the alcohol. This is a family-friendly, all-ages, all are welcomed event. No previous moth experience required to participate.

There will be four moth light trapping locations in Hillsborough for you to visit in one night. The host at each location will have one or more moth collecting sheets set up to draw moths. Your hosts will help you identify moths on their collecting sheet(s), answer questions, and provide information about moths and the various other insects you will see.

Mothing is a weather dependent activity. Attendees will be provided updates by email about delayed start times or rescheduling in the event of rain.

New for 2024

  • Moth Bingo for kids and adults with fun prizes
  • Commemorative T-shirts available for purchase
  • Premium prizes to the top 3 participants with the most photos submitted to the iNaturalist Moth Crawl 2024 project

How to Moth Your Way Across Hillsborough

Start at any of the four locations at 8:30 PM. At any location you can get your Official Hillsborough Moth Crawl Stamp Card. Get it stamped at each location you visit. When you get all four stamps before the event ends at 11:30 PM redeem at any location to receive your commemorative bumper sticker announcing you mothed your way across Hillsborough.

Meet Your Hosts

Backyard Butterflies

Lior Carlson

Info Coming Soon

Equipment at Location

TBA

North Carolina Entomological Society

TA Toennisson

Info Coming Soon

Equipment at Location

TBA

Spring Forest

Tim Foley

Info Coming Soon

Equipment at Location

TBA

Hillsborough Garden Club

Tammy Dorfman

Info Coming Soon

Equipment at Location

TBA

Look for special yard signs along the route to guide you to each mothing location.

Map of Hillsborough

Route Map Coming in 2024

Mothing 101

What is Mothing?

It’s a fun hobby of drawing moths to a collecting sheet using a light source. Though moths are nocturnal they are drawn to light sources like porch lights, UV lights, mercury vapor lights, and retina searing 400 watt metal halid lights. 

What should I bring to moth night?

Please bring a flashlight or wear a head lamp. Bring with you whatever will make you comfortable such as an outdoor chair, non-alcoholic beverage, snacks. We suggest bringing a camera and field guide. 

What kind of moths will we see?

There are some fairly common moths we expect to see,  but let’s be honest: we’re all hoping that Mothra will appear! Ok, it’s always cool when some of the Big Ones grace us with their presence. 

Why bother to look for moths?

Moths are very important insects! Reasons to love moths: pollinators, indicator species, food for other critters. Yes, there are those moths that eat crops, carpets, wool sweaters, but a world without moths would not be a very pleasant world.

What will you provide?

In addition to our collecting sheets we provide UV protective eyewear, sunscreen, field guide, lighted magnifying glass, and hopefully interesting conversation. 

How is this citizen science?

All observations made on our collecting sheets are submitted as records to either state or national databases that verify identification. You are welcome to submit your sightings to our project on iNaturalist.

Get Tickets

Tickets Available May 2024

Contact US

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Text

(919) 241-7865
Our preferred method of contact

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Our preferred method of contact

Email

hello@backyardbutterflies.org
When a slower response is ok

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When a slower response is ok

Phone

(919) 241-7865
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