Bogong moths: why they are here and how to help

Story and pictures by Ewa Meyer

I always look forward to Spring when my garden comes alive with the vibrant colours of native flowers, the sounds of new and familiar birds returning – and when interesting insects also start to appear.

Interesting insects are certainly a highlight this year and I hope like me you’re enjoying a new experience: the Bogong moth migration. If the Bogongs have found a safe space at your place like they have at mine, consider yourself lucky. It’s their stopover on a long haul flight. This is one of the great natural phenomena in Australia, a migration of extraordinary distance, navigation and resilience.

Every spring, billions of Bogong moths (Agrotis infusa) breed in the warm inland plains of eastern Australia and then head south to the cool Snowy Mountains for the summer. Professor Dieter Hochuli who leads the Integrative Ecology Lab, at the University of Sydney, said moth migrations were a natural phenomenon, but this year their long haul flight was diverted when unusually strong westerly winds blew them off course. They ended up not only in Sydney but along the eastern seaboard including here in Port Stephens.

“Because they navigate using light from the moon and stars, city lights are essentially like someone hacking into your Google Maps and spinning it around,” Professor Hochuli said. “It sends them confusing messages and they get stranded.”

A population crash in 2017-19 had us worried that their survival might be impossible. Prolonged drought, pesticides, light pollution and habitat loss had all taken their toll. But thankfully the moths have bounced back and in such visibly large numbers, it’s hard to believe they are listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List. This means interfering with them or spraying is not an option.

They enter homes through tiny gaps around doors, windows, and roofs. But they don’t want to be indoors any more than we want them to be there, so gently catch them in a container and let them out. Keep your doors closed and if you have drain holes in your sliding doors or window tracks, block them up temporarily.

“They are not going to eat your clothes or ruin your gardens; the moths that destroy your laundry are a completely different species,” Professor Hochuli said.

In my garden, the birds initially looked bewildered to see such a quantity of fast food flying past – but soon a grey butcherbird was picking a few off our deck and feeding them to her young. At night, we could hear the hum hum of the tawny frogmouth who was launching from our roof to hunt them.

And of course, the moths are valuable pollinators. My bottlebrushes, grevilleas and other nectar-rich flowers are proving very popular. As they make their way south, the moths will be providing an essential ecosystem service by pollinating everything on their journey.

In Victoria’s high country, Bogongs are a vital food source for the mountain pygmy possum. During the moth’s population crash, researchers also feared for the survival of this critically endangered possum. Everything in our natural ecosystem is connected. And with climate change, the summer habitats the moths need are getting hotter and they no longer use some of their more northerly sites for the entire summer.

If like me, you’ve had interesting moth encounters at your place, there are 3 citizen science sites where you can upload your sightings information and photos: Moth Tracker, Bogong Watch and iNaturalist. All our observations and photos become valuable data for scientists and conservationists.

Remember, if the Bogongs are bugging you, please be patient – they won’t be here for long. It’s not an everyday experience so let’s enjoy another fascinating aspect of our unique Australian biodiversity.

This article was first published in the Port Stephens Examiner on 16 October 2026

Useful links

Please share your observations on these sites:

• Bogong Watch is a program driven by a growing network of observers across Australia gathering and reporting sightings of Bogong moths to help map its epic migration. ‘All moth observations are important and it is absolutely fine to upload photos of moths that you think might be a Bogong even if you turn out to be incorrect. We need observations of all Australian moths.’ Download this handy Moth id chart.
• Here are some great videos about the journey of the Bogongs, the important connection with Aboriginal people and other interesting facts and figures!
• Moth Tracker is a place to record your Bogong Moth sightings to help the conservation of Endangered Bogong Moths and Critically Endangered Mountain Pygmy-possums. Not sure if a moth you’ve spotted is a Bogong Moth? Upload a photo to Moth Tracker, and our experts will verify your sighting.
• iNaturalist has a citizen science project associated with Bogong Watch.

Walkers have seen huge numbers of Bogong moths washed up on local beaches, such as these spotted by Econetwork’s Sue Olsson on Pinny Beach near Caves Beach on 14 October 2026.