Docs Pull Live Moth From Boy's Ear

Moths plague Colorado this time of year

Doctors pulled a live moth out of the Colorado boy's ear it had crawled into while he slept.

Twelve-year-old Wade Schlote, of Parker, Colo., woke up Monday morning in severe pain, but his mom had no idea what the problem was.

“I had a moment of panicking," the boy told NBC station KUSA. "I was in pain. It was hurting so much I was screaming and crying."

His mom tried washing the ear, but when that didn't work, she took him to the emergency room. There, doctors used tweezers to extract the winged insect, which was still alive.

“When they did it was still alive and started flying,” Wade said.

It didn't get far. Now it is in a jar and in Wade's possession, as a souvenir of his painful ordeal.

"I am so happy it's over. It was so painful. Every time it moved it hit my ear drum," Wade said.

Wade's mom, Kathy Schlote, noted that moths have invaded the Denver area this year. Miller Moths make an annual migration from the Eastern Plains to the mountains every year from May to June and it is not uncommon for area residents to find them in their homes and cars.

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