Exclusive: scientists say bug deaths can be cut by switching off unnecessary lights
Thousands of moths swarm around floodlights. Artificial light at night can affect every aspect of insects’ lives, the researchers said. Photograph: Simone De Peak/Getty Images
Have you ever wondered why insects always seem to fly to light sources? For years it was thought that insects were simply attracted to light, like moths to a flame. But hold on to your hats, because a groundbreaking study from Imperial University London has turned this age-old assumption on its head!
According to the researchers, insects aren’t attracted to light because they like it. No, it turns out they’re just trying to find their way around. Biologists at Imperial University London have discovered that artificial light helps insects find their way when they are flying around in the dark. So it’s not that they are attracted to the light itself, but rather that they use it as a kind of navigational aid.
Imagine the following: You’re walking through a rainforest in Costa Rica (yes, like in those adventure films!) and you come across a group of scientists setting up artificial lights under the treetops. These clever researchers were closely observing how the beetles made their nocturnal flights. Normally, the insects orientate themselves by the moon to fly straight ahead, but when they encountered the artificial lights, things went a little off the rails. Instead of flying in a straight line, they began to fly loops and strange zigzag patterns.
An entomologist (that’s a beetle expert, by the way) explained: “Natural sky light… helps to maintain proper flight…….Artificial light sources… can create continuous steering around the light and trap an insect.” In other words: Insects get confused by artificial light, which can get them right into trouble. Think insect zappers— – these things are not insect magnets because insects love light; they just confuse the poor critters.
But wait, that’s not all! Artificial light not only disrupts insects’ flight paths, but also their love lives and eating schedules. Yes, you heard right. Bugs have a hard time finding mates, hunting for food and getting to safety from predators when they are blinded by artificial light.
So the next time you see a bug buzzing around your porch light, remember that it’s not there for pleasure, it’s there to find its way home! And thanks to the brilliant minds at Imperial University London, we now know the real reason for the insects’ mysterious attraction to light.
Sources
Yeni Yol News 
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