Why Do Bugs Like Light What Attracts Them To It

Bugs are interesting creatures that portray some unique behaviors.One such intriguing behavior is their constant movement towards a light source at night. Many entomologists have explained with many theories why this happens and what makes them do it.It is first essential to understand that not all insects or bugs, in general, are attracted to light. There is a proportion of bugs that move towards a light source while many others move away from the light source. This is largely due to a phenomenon called phototaxis. Phototaxis explains how bugs and insects respond to light with their motion. It is very different from phototropism where plants move and grow in the direction of a light source, be it natural light or artificial light sources. The majority of insects and bugs that are usually attracted to light sources are certain bugs or insects that can fly.You would have often noticed that when you’re ready to get cozy on your porch with a good book you start to see a swarm of insects fly above you, around the light bulbs or porch light! There is a reason why only some insects are attracted to a variety of light sources and others are not. It is because insects that are attracted to light are positively phototactic like moths, stink bugs, flies, mosquitoes, and beetles. These insects have positive phototaxis. On the other hand, some bugs and insects go away from a light source like cockroaches and bed bugs, and hence, they have negative phototaxis and are negatively phototactic. They prefer the dark to the light, which is why when you switch on the light in your kitchen if there are a few cockroaches crawling around, they will probably scuttle off into a dark corner.You might often wonder, what is it that makes certain flying insects attracted to light? Again, many theories have been put out by scientists. One such explanation is that they are drawn to light since insects use the moonlight as a navigational tool to take themselves away from predators and any other possible related threats. The insect keeps itself straight or flies at an angle that is relative to that of the light source. This angle stays the same since the moon is quite far away but this is not the same with smaller light sources like lightbulbs, porch lights, street lamps, and so on.The tiny bug creatures get confused and that’s why you begin to see them fly in circles around the light source. Another theory is that insects go near a bright light because the day is cold and they want to get some heat on their bodies. The light that certain insects are usually attracted to is UV light or white light. They are attracted to UV light and yellow light, for warmth and heat. It is also believed that flowers reflect UV light in small amounts and because flowers are a food source for insects, they fly towards them. Research conducted in the 1970s claims that moths were attracted to light because they confused it with female moths.Nonetheless, there is a perfect explanation for this bizarre assumption. Female moths give out certain pheromones to attract the male moths and these pheromones contain frequencies that are very similar to that of a candle flame. This is probably where the saying ’like a moth drawn to a flame’ comes from because by making the mistake of flying towards it, the moth ends up losing its life.If you enjoyed this article that answers why are bugs attracted to light, check out our answers to the questions why do gnats fly in your face or why do fireflies glow here on Kidadl!What color of light do bugs not like?As soon as you switch on your porch light, you will meet the familiar sight of a bunch of insects flying toward the source of light, and a few bugs crawling in too. This is because of phototaxis, where the bug or the insect responds to a source of light by moving to it.This is not present in every insect or bug but only in some and is a very normal part of their animal nature. Some insect experts and scientists believe that they move towards the light as they mistake them for food sources since flowers also emanate UV light. Moths especially, a species of insect, are known for flying into the source of light, be it a light bulb or a street lamp, as they mistake them for female moths! What causes the confusion in male moths is that they are attracted to artificial light as it gives out a small amount of the same pheromones that female moths use to attract males. They also use natural light sources for the purpose of navigation like light from the sun, moon, and stars. This is also why artificial light sources confuse them a lot.Insects generally see only three colors of light which are ultra-violet or UV, blue, and green. Bugs and insects usually move head-first to either UV light or white light. Even bluish light attracts a large number of insects. This is why you would have noticed a lot of restaurants and food places having ILTs (insect light traps) or bug zappers with either UV light or blue light to maintain hygiene and for pest control too. They are only led to yellow light if they are cold and seek some warmth otherwise, they tend to avoid yellow, pink, orange, and even LED lights, and are least attracted to them.Why do certain bugs like light while others don’t?It is completely natural that some bugs like light while others don’t! It is often flying insects that are attracted to light.Insects that are attracted to artificial light or natural light are positively phototactic while others that prefer to move into a dark corner as soon as a bright light comes out are negatively phototactic. It is a familiar sight! As mentioned earlier, some insects see lights as a type of food source because some insect experts believe that flowers reflect a small amount of UV light. They also see a light as a means of providing an escape path such that their path is not blocked by any obstacles or threats. At times, very bright light can temporarily blind them. In fact, research has stated that blue light can kill the cells that give sight to flies.Should you keep your lights off to make them go away?That will not be necessary at all! As mentioned earlier, insects prefer only certain lights. If you like to spend some time outside but find it annoying that they keep flying over you, you could change your bulbs to LED bulbs.You could also make use of an insect light trap (an ILT) or bug zapper to minimize them around your house. Avoid using fluorescent lights or very bright lightbulbs and you could replace your bulbs with lights that have a yellow or slight orange tinge to them. You could also place a citronella candle around the area where the insects swarm. Incense sticks do the trick too! Most incense sticks give out a scent that is very irritable for insects so it does its job of driving them away. Essential oils like rosemary and peppermint can also be utilized in keeping bugs under control.Do they die in high-powered lights?Recent studies conducted by entomologists state that light pollutions have actually caused a great reduction in insect populations.So many insect species often use polarised light to breed in water and hence, the light fixtures that we use outside can confuse their ability to navigate, and often, they end up losing their life. Insects and bugs are attracted to light that is mostly artificial and this also affects the way they hunt. Moths meet their end by thinking that they will find a mate when they move towards the light.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why do bugs like light then why not take a look at why do mosquitoes suck blood or how often should I feed my cat.

Bugs are interesting creatures that portray some unique behaviors.