Why are bugs attracted to light? | The Sun

AS THE summer months get underway, bugs are back and will gravitate toward any lights they see.

The effort to remove bugs results in increased bug zappers, and citronella candles purchased during the warmer times of the year.

Why are bugs attracted to light?

The phenomenon of bugs swarming bright lights is called phototaxis, which is defined as an animal or bug that moves toward or away from lights.

Scientists continue to study why this occurs but speculate that some bugs, like moths, use light as a navigational tool.

The moon plays a vital role in how bugs navigate, and when a light is turned on, the bug sees it as another moon and naturally gravitates toward it.

In other cases, scientists believe some bugs use light as a predatory escape route.

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They use the moon as a signpost to escape from a predator, by flying toward the light and therefore out of reach.

When they find the light, they continue to circle it because in a similar case to humans, bugs suffer from night blindness.

The light disorientates them and causes them to stay near the light for fear of being blind to predators if they fly off into the darkness.

Which bugs are attracted to light?

Scientists sometimes use white lights to trap bugs in order to study them.

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A light that has the highest level of UV radiation will attract the most bugs and a variety of them.

The bugs primarily attracted to light include:

  • Mosquitos
  • Moths
  • Gnats
  • Flies
  • Mayflies
  • Crane flies
  • Beetles
  • Spiders

How do I get rid of bugs at night?

If your patio is being overrun by bugs, it might be worth investing in different bulbs that have softer light.

As bugs are attracted to white light, replacing those bulbs with a yellow or red bug light can deter most bugs from flying overhead.

An alternate option would be to invest in a bug zapper or citronella candles.

Zappers work by using a UV light to attract the bugs and luring them in between the metal grids where they're then electrocuted.

However, Leslie Vosshall, a neurobiology professor at Rockefeller University, told The New York Times that bug zappers aren't necessarily attracting the bugs that are annoying you.

The University of Delaware conducted a study that followed the results of using six residential bug zappers over ten weeks.

The study found that while the bug zappers killed 13,789 insects, only 31 of those were biting flies.

Instead of using a bug zapper to repel insects, you should use a bug repellent spray, such as DEET, or citronella candles.

Mosquitos and other biting bugs find you by your scent – the chemicals and odors emitted from your skin and the carbon dioxide you exhale.

A citronella candle blocks these smells from mosquitos, prompting them to leave you alone.

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Laurence Zwiebel, a Vanderbilt professor of biological science and pharmacology, told the outlet, “Repellents don’t kill anything. They just say ‘don’t bite this, don’t eat that.’ Go off and live a long, happy life.”

He added that ultimately, “You want to push [insects] away, you don’t want to pull them in.”

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