We have all seen mosquitoes before and are well-aware of the dangers they pose. They can breed in our homes and put us at risk of life-threatening diseases like malaria and dengue. But have you noticed that mosquitoes seem to be attracted to light? Is there a scientific explanation for this or is this just a wide misconception?
Why do some people think mosquitoes are attracted to light?
Mosquitoes are not necessarily attracted to light. But there are some facts about mosquitoes that make it seem like so.
- Mosquitoes don’t like sunlight. These pests don’t like sunlight because it can dehydrate and kill them. For this reason, you will often see them active only when sunlight is low – during dawn or night-time. Since you have your lights on during these times of the day, it’s easy to assume that mosquitoes are attracted to them. But it’s not necessarily true.
- Mosquitoes use light to navigate through their surroundings. These pests use the natural light from the moon and stars to help them navigate when they are in flight. These natural light sources are far enough away, and weak enough to not negatively affect them. Mosquitoes confuse artificial light around your home for these natural light sources. This makes it harder for them to navigate through their surroundings, so you sometimes see them circling around the artificial light.
In short, mosquitoes are not necessarily attracted to light. But you may see them around light sources because you have these light sources turned on when mosquitoes are active and mosquitoes use them for navigation.
Can you use light to attract mosquitoes and kill them?
There are a lot of traps out there that use light to attract pests and kill them. Some of the most famous ones are the bug zappers that supposedly attract pests with UV light and electrocute them between metal grids. But these are actually not effective against mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are not attracted to UV light, the same way that they are not necessarily attracted to the artificial light around your home. Sure, these bug zappers may end up killing a few unfortunate mosquitoes. But they are more likely to kill other bugs on your property.
If you want to get rid of mosquitoes, you can try DIY mosquito traps or insecticides. If you are planning on buying traps, heavily consider those that use carbon dioxide to attract the pests. But if you are planning to use insecticides, make sure that those you buy are specifically made for mosquitoes.
It also helps if you clean your surroundings and get rid of potential mosquito breeding grounds.
Can you use specific light colors to avoid attracting mosquitoes?
You may still “attract” mosquitoes on your property if you have artificial light turned on at nighttime. After all, the mosquitoes can confuse artificial light for natural light when they are navigating mid-flight. But you can use specific light colors to avoid attracting these pests.
Different light colors have different wavelengths, and it appears that mosquitoes can’t properly see red and yellow light. You can install red and yellow lights around your property, especially outdoors, to avoid attracting mosquitoes.
But remember that these lights don’t actively avoid and repel mosquitoes. It just happens that mosquitoes are not able to see them properly, so the pests won’t be able to confuse them for natural light and use them for navigation.
Are there other ways to avoid mosquitoes at home?
If you really want to avoid mosquitoes at home, you will have to do more than just installing red and yellow lights around your property. Here are some effective ways to make your home mosquito-free.
1. Prevent them from thriving on your property
Mosquitoes can really thrive on your garden, lawn, and yard because of debris, grass, and stagnant water. They can breed on debris like old tires and stagnant water like the one you can find on clogged gutters and rain barrels. They can breed near grassy areas that protect them from sunlight and wind. Keep your home’s exterior free of debris and stagnant water and always cut your grasses short.
2. Keep your doors and windows closed
Sure, you can keep your home’s exterior free of mosquito nests, but mosquitoes from elsewhere can still get inside your home if your home is too accessible. Keep your doors, windows, and other passageways closed. This is especially true during the times of the day where sunlight is low, like dawn and nighttime. This is because these times are where mosquitoes are most active.
3. Keep your surroundings clean
Your home’s exterior is not the only place where mosquitoes can thrive. These pests can also nest inside your home. Their favorite spots are those that are dark, warm, and often undisturbed. These could be general areas like garages and laundry rooms. But they could be specific areas too like inside cabinets and under sinks. Make sure to keep these hotspots clean. It also helps if you can keep them cool because mosquitoes like their nests warm.
4. Make yourself unattractive to the pests
Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, heat, sweat, and many other things. If you get rid of these attractors, you are minimizing the risk of getting mosquitoes on your property. Keep yourself cool and sweat-free by taking a bath after a long day even though you feel like you have not sweated at all. This will avoid attracting mosquitoes at night when you are about to sleep and when they are very active. Carbon dioxide is not something you can get rid of because you exhale it, but you can minimize the carbon dioxide in your room by improving ventilation.
Mosquitoes are not necessarily attracted to light
Sure, you may see some mosquitoes around light sources. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are attracted to light. You see these pests around light sources because you have them turned on when the pests are at their most active and they use these light sources for navigation.
Even though you can see mosquitoes around light sources, using light to attract mosquitoes and kill them is not effective. You are better off with dedicated mosquito sprays and traps. If you really want to make your home mosquito-free, keep it clean and unattractive to pests.