Why Do Flies Go Toward Light?
WouterInsects of all kinds often prefer light to darkness and may even fly towards artificial lights. This is because artificial lights emit some ultraviolet light, which many insects mistake for a food source. However, not all light sources are attractive to insects. Aside from artificial light, insects may also be attracted to flowers, which naturally reflect ultraviolet light.
This is due to the fact that insects’ eyes have multiple lenses. As a result, it is difficult for insects’ eyes to adjust from light to dark. They may prefer to stay in the light for safety. They may even become night-blind. Researchers at Rentokil have used this phenomenon to test the efficiency of the Lumnia LED fly control unit, which uses a standard Half-Life measure to eliminate 50% of the flies in a test chamber.
Moths and cockroaches are also attracted to light. This behavior is called positive phototaxis in the science community. Insects with this behaviour are more likely to be wiped out by natural selection. However, moths and cockroaches do not migrate to dark areas and are therefore unable to scatter in such a way.
Flies are attracted to light sources in the UV-A range. Some research has suggested that houseflies and other insects may use light sources as a source of security. One study found that a single fly may even follow another fly around the light source. The scientists also found that flies are attracted to certain types of light traps, particularly those with UV-A range specifications.
