On more than one occasion you will have been able to see a huge number of mosquitoes circling around artificial lights. Whether in light bulbs, spotlights and other similar light sources, insects such as mosquitoes, moths, flies and fireflies can fly overhead for hours, especially at night as this is the time of day when most artificial street lights are used and homes.
These artificial lights are one of the main causes of death for mosquitoes and other flying insects. Whether it’s from exhaustion from spinning for hours around the bulbs or from getting their wings burned from contact with this kind of blistering sun, they can end up dying. But does light from bulbs really attract mosquitoes? To discover why mosquitoes go to the light , what attracts them and the flying insects that approach it, at OneHOWTO we recommend that you continue reading this article.
You may also be interested in: How long does a mosquito live ?
Index
- Does light attract mosquitoes?
- flying insects going to the light
- What attracts mosquitoes
Does light attract mosquitoes?
Many people believe that mosquitoes are attracted to artificial light. It is the reason they find to explain why there are dozens of these insects revolving around light bulbs and spotlights, but it is not true. Mosquitoes are not attracted to light , but rather are attracted by other factors, such as odors given off by the human body.
However, there are other flying insects such as moths that are attracted to light. Why? Mainly for two reasons:
- For some insects, a light source means a signal indicating a free path, that is, that the path is clear.
- Confusion of artificial light with the light emitted by the Moon, which allows some insects to orient themselves.
In general, nocturnal insects are attracted to light bulbs, mistaking their brightness for that of the Moon. It is an orientation method, also known as transverse orientation , but with the massive use of light bulbs, this mode of orientation of insects has been totally disrupted.
The consequences of this disturbance are fatal for these insects in some cases, as they frantically spin around bulbs of 12 or more watts and end up dying of exhaustion . Despite turning off the light bulbs outdoors and in private homes, they have an infrared radiation that is still active and continues to attract the attention of insects.
Light can be considered to be synonymous with freedom and clarity for certain nocturnal flying insects, an aspect that explains their unbridled desire to dart towards light bulbs and artificial lights.
flying insects going to the light
After clarifying that mosquitoes are not attracted to light , it is important to confirm that there are other flying insects that do go to it because it captures their attention. Bees, flies, moths, and butterflies are some of the flying insects that go to light bulbs.
In fact, despite the widespread belief that there is a majority presence of mosquitoes that revolve around artificial lights, other insects such as moths and flies are the ones that most proliferate around the light.
Some lights like LEDs are especially attractive to flying insects. LED lights emit quite intense ultraviolet light rays that attract the attention of flying insects to a greater extent because they have a longer range and the same power as other lights.
Regarding the housefly, it feels an enormous attraction for ultraviolet light, since its eyes are sensitive to light with these long wavelengths, as is the case with LED. The enormous intensity of light is a secondary factor in attracting these insects.
Instead, the relative intensity with respect to other lights in the environment plays an essential role. The determining factor is the wavelength: lights whose wavelength is outside the spectrum visible to humans have a greater power of attraction for flies.
What attracts mosquitoes
Taking into account that mosquitoes are not attracted to light, there are other factors that do manage to capture the attention of these flying insects. The odors given off by the human body are one of them, as is the body heat released.
The released CO2 (carbon dioxide) when breathing also attracts mosquitoes. This explains that if breathing is faster or faster in case the person is pregnant or sick, it is understandable that these insects come closer to you and sting you more.
Mosquitoes use their sight and receptors on their bodies to pick up cues such as odor, perspiration from the skin, and body heat. In this way, they find their food sources.
Now that you know that light does not attract mosquitoes and what things do, we recommend you read these other OneHOWTO articles on How to drive away mosquitoes outside and How to get rid of flies and mosquitoes in the garden .
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