Montana Bug And Flower Lovers, This Job Might Be For You
If you pay attention to gardening or landscaping at all, then you've probably noticed that there's a new trend in how to take care of your yard. Lots of people are now replacing their lawns with wildflowers and other plants that are beneficial to pollinator species.
When you think about pollinators, you're probably thinking about bees and butterflies. But there are actually other bugs that are very good at pollinating species. In fact, moths are arguably better pollinators than bees according to a new study profiled at techexplorist.com.
Related: Did You Know There Are 230 Species of Bees Native to Missoula?
Fortunately, Montana has a lot of moths. iNaturalist.org lists 312 moth species in Montana. One of my favorites is the Hummingbird Moth. I actually saw one at the fair last year in the horticultural building where they had the flower contests.
You can see in the photo how it got its name. With the long, skinny proboscis that looks like the beak of a hummingbird and the blurred wings from flapping so fast, it's easy to confuse the two. I did when I first saw it.
What's the Latest with the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium?
Things are "buzzing" with the Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium. Progress is continuing on their new facility located next to the Missoula County Fairgrounds, but their website says they "hope to be open by late September 2023." That means it won't be open in time for the fair.
Just because the facility isn't open yet doesn't mean that you can't enjoy all things creepy and crawly. You might even see some buggy friends at the Missoula PaddleHeads game on August 1. There's also an opportunity to support their education efforts when you purchase tickets for the game.
Missoula Butterfly House & Insectarium is Hiring!
If bugs and plants are your thing and you have some experience with horticulture you may want to apply for their Lead Horticulturist job. Not only would you be responsible for caring for the butterflies among many other things, but you'll get to select plants for the butterfly house. How cool would that be?! If you think you'd be the right fit, you can find out more on their website.