It’s that time of year again when it’s finally warm enough to enjoy evenings outside in the great outdoors. Unfortunately, it’s also the time of year that our pesky insect friends have decided to rejoin us. They can prove to be particularly annoying when you’re sitting outside enjoying the summer night time ambiance, only to be bombarded with buzzing left, right and centre. It’s no question that bugs are attracted to the lighting we have outside to set the mood, and once they catch sight of it, it becomes irresistible for them to do anything but swarm around it like their life depends on it.

But why is this? What’s the science behind the popular saying “like a moth to a flame”? There seems to be a few different theories as to why bugs are attracted to lighting (almost as much as the FLUX team is).

One theory relates to an organisms’ response to light, in scientific terms, their phototaxis. Organisms that are positively photaxic, like flies and moths, have a tendency to go towards light sources, with negatively photaxic organisms, like cockroaches, scuttle away. To support this theory, it’s believed that unnatural sources of light interfere with insect’s internal navigation systems.  Before artificial lights were invented, insects used natural light sources like the moon and sun in order to navigate by keeping themselves aligned at a constant angle to the relative light source.

The angle doesn’t always stay the same with smaller light sources like candle light and lightbulbs, which coincidentally confuses them. So in an attempt to keep themselves aligned, the insect ends up flying round in circles around to the source.

Another concept is that seeing an unobstructed light source indicates that the pathway is clear, therefore the insects fly directly towards it in an attempt to avoid obstacles. This explains the kamikaze, suicidal behaviour as insects take the plunge into campfires and candle light.

So, what can you do to stop being bombarded by uninvited insects this summer?

A summer-long study was done by Mike and Teresa Justice, two behavioural ecologists with PhDs from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. The two set up bug traps each night, with a single bulb inside. From night to night, the type of bulb was switched. The results show that incandescent bulbs attract the most insects, while yellow-orange LEDs attract the least. In the mornings, the bulbs were switched off and the trap examined to see how many bugs were caught. Incandescent bulbs had the highest capture rate, followed by CFL, halogen, LED with a cool colour temperature, and a standard ‘bug’ light. At the bottom with the lowest capture rate were warm-coloured LEDs.

So if you’re looking to light up your outdoors this summer, opt for warm yellow-orange LED bulbs to light up your space.

why are bugs attracted to light

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