How Are Fleas Attracted to Light?
WouterWhen fleas look for a potential host, they use light and heat to determine their location. Once on a host, they rarely leave. Light, however, will send a signal to fleas, which may lead to their removal from a host. Fortunately, it is easy to get rid of fleas from your pet.
The easiest homemade flea trap is a light bulb trap. These traps work by combining light and heat to lure fleas into the trap. The light attracts fleas that jump to the light and fall into the soapy water. You can buy an inexpensive light bulb and place it in an area where fleas are likely to congregate. Make sure to use low-voltage bulbs to reduce the risk of electrical shock. You can use a small battery bank to power the system.
Fleas are attracted to light for two main reasons: to find a potential host and to warm themselves. Fleas use their tiny antennae to detect heat from an alive host. While they may be attracted to light, they cannot differentiate it from a decoy. For this reason, fleas prefer intermittent light to continuous light.
In natural settings, fleas will often climb higher objects and wait for potential hosts before jumping. In artificial settings, they may wait for potential hosts before jumping, but jumping is not necessarily the most effective way to attract them. Fleas are attracted to green-yellow light with 500-530 nanometer wavelengths. This light is used in most types of flea traps.
