If you like butterflies but don’t like moths, why.

[Soubriquet]

I’ve done a butterfly growing kit before and I now want to a moth one but dh really doesn’t like moths. He can’t explain why but they freak him out.

I find this a lot. Why?

I mean, a lot of species of moths are beautiful. Some are even more beautiful than butterflies.

So what is it?

@MsRinky

I once got a moth inside my ear whilst camping. Had to go to A&E to get it extracted. First they didn't believe me, then they had to drown the bastard by flushing my ear with water, then extract it with long tweezers like something from Silence of the Lambs, at which point my husband passed out and smashed his head open. Bastards.

Oh god, I nearly passed out reading that.

“Like something from Silence of the Lambs”? No, worse. Much worse.

They are too flappy and solid. A butterfly lands on you and it’s gentle and serene whereas a moth just thuds into repeatedly. I don’t know who is more panicked - me or the moth.

I think I would just die.

That was at MsRinkys post rather than just a random response!!

Yeah new fear unlocked, thanks MsRinky 😭

@MsRinky oh my God that’s one of my worst nightmares but I’ve got to say that made me cry with laughter too 🙈😩

I love moths. I used to rescue them at work when I was on nightshifts. My best find was an elephant hawk moth.

@WingBingo

I feel the same!

It’s their furry bodies and unpredictable behaviour. They are drawn to the light and flutter around your head.

Butterflies don’t do that.

Yeah this and the dust thing. But also, butterflies don't come in my house and terrorise me. I can cope with watching them flutter around the garden, but if they start coming indoors and flying at me then I would likely be just as upset by them as I am by moths.

Horrible furry bodies, lurking in dark corners and coming towards you when you’re unprepared. Oh sorry, that’s DH! Moths are the same.

No I dislike moths. I get the same feeling from them as when I walk through bat tunnels.

They almost have a rodents' body coupled with wings. They also fly at you. Or bang on your windows at night - almost like a vampire bat.

@MsRinky

I once got a moth inside my ear whilst camping. Had to go to A&E to get it extracted. First they didn't believe me, then they had to drown the bastard by flushing my ear with water, then extract it with long tweezers like something from Silence of the Lambs, at which point my husband passed out and smashed his head open. Bastards.

I don't even have words for this. I hope I would just pass out if this happened to me, I can't imagine how utterly horrific that would be. I am am shuddering at the thought of it.

Moths ruined three carpets in my house, plus my favourite cashmere cardigan and a fair isle hat. I hate the fuckers.

Butterflies are just moths with makeup. Hate anything with wings. Gives me the willies.

It's the fat heavy bodies, the way their wings close over their backs and they sort of shuffle when they walk - nothing like a butterfly. They're all sombre colours, grey and brown and black - and they're coated in horrible grave dust which they leave all over your house. They freak me the fuck out.

Butterflies are just moths with makeup
They aren't though because moths come in your window at night and flap around your lamp. Then they eat your jumpers.

Urgh I hate them all.

Because a moth got stuck in my ear once

Ooh just seen it's happened to another mumsnetter!!

@MsRinky

Because moths are made of Miss Haversham.

Bats are fine, butterflies are fine.

Things that stay outside are fine.

Moths are awful and flappy things that mistake your face for the moon. One fell in my coleslaw once when I was 10 and the dust started to spread out all around it into the dressing. This was a very distressing experience apparently.

I don't like it when they hide in a room and then get confused when you turn the light on. I know they can't help it but it makes me jump.

I've been to a butterfly farm and those indoor butterflies are fine.

We've also had pantry moth infestations pretty much every year since moving abroad and that will turn you off something pretty quick. Hundreds of caterpillars creeping around the ceiling is disgusting and sets off a primal dislike. Finding their webs and larva everywhere unexpectedly.

I used to like ladybirds until I moved here too, but they hibernate in our window frames, which would be fine except if you let the room get too warm, they wake up and start bumbling sleepily around the house in the thousands. It's just wrong.

I love 🦋 but hate moths.

It's the fur & brownness & light obsession

Butterflies leave you alone and just flutter round outside. A butterfly did once land on my leg and I couldn't feel a thing, it just gently sat for a second before flying away.

Moths are idiots who bump around lights inside your house in an annoying way. And if they bump into you, you will feel it.

I would have thought these differences were obvious!

@Theworldisquiethere

I only dislike the kind of moths that destroy my beautiful wool jumpers

Yep this!! Why do they never munch the cheap stuff? 🌹

@YouHaveNoAuthorityHereJackie

Butterflies don’t eat my cashmere darling. They also probably aren’t made of smudge

Arf at made of smudge