Nothing compares to twilight in the summer. The cicada noises get stronger, the sun eventually begins to set, and your porch light flickers on, lighting the dozens of tiny bugs flying around the lamp. Your clothes also start to scent like a bonfire.
Of course, the majority of these buzzing insects are innocuous, but if mosquitoes start to swarm, itching stings are a given. And at that moment, it makes sense if you'd want to take every precaution to reduce the number of animals roaming around your house.
What is a tip that entomologists—also known as bug specialists—recommend? Replace your incandescent bulbs with LEDs, and give careful attention to the colour.
But why are some insects drawn to light?
In actuality, this is a query that is still being explored. The reason why some bugs are drawn to light is unknown, according to ecologist Howard Russell, M.S., of Michigan State University.
Additionally, according to Doug Webb, head of technical services at Terminix International and a board-certified entomologist, "not all insects are attracted to light." He defines phototaxis as the draw to light. Some insects, like cockroaches, are actually attracted to darkness and are actually repulsed by light.
Among the bug species that are phototactic, or drawn to particular light frequencies, are flies, moths, and mosquitoes.
One explanation for their adoration of the light? According to Frank Meek, technological services manager at Rollins, "It's an escape from a place or a predator—the light creates a clear path."
According to Emory Matts, a board-certified entomologist for Western Exterminator, another hypothesis is that flying insects at night may use light as a guidance system, much like how we depend on the light from the moon to direct us.
Like any living creature seeking a secure haven, Meek adds, it's also possible that some insects are attracted to the heat produced by some lights.
