The phrase “like a moth to a flame” is incredibly common, but stopping to think about why this phrase came about in the first place is both interesting and important. The truth is that moths are attracted to lights for various reasons, and if you understand what these are, you can keep them away from your backyard or porch. Just like with so many pest control techniques, staying consistent is key.
Understanding why moths are attracted to light can help you arrange your space in a way to keep them away. Nothing can ruin a nice summer evening out on the porch like a flurry of moths flying around.
It’s not entirely known by entomologists why moths are attracted to bright lights, but before you can begin to think about it, it’s best to know about phototaxis. This is an organism’s built-in reflex to go toward light or away from it. For example, co*ckroaches are negative phototactic animals, and they will run away from light when presented with it. This is why you see co*ckroaches scatter when you turn on a kitchen light. On the other hand, moths are positive phototactic animals, so they will be attracted to both natural and artificial light sources.
While it’s not known why moths are attracted to streetlights, light bulbs, and campfires, there are a couple of different theories. Experts in entomology are still trying to figure out the source of this phenomenon, and science news is always running stories about this interesting behavior.
Navigation
One of the dominant theories of why moths are attracted to porch lights and light pollution is that they use light for transverse orientation. This means that moths use the moon as a way to navigate in the dark, and since a moth’s eyes don’t focus the same way that a human’s do, they can’t tell the difference between artificial light and the moon. Since some moth types migrate and are nocturnal insects, their dependence on the moon makes them susceptible to being tricked when they get into populated areas.
Infrared Light Attraction
One of the other theories, which Philip Callahan presented in the 1970s, is that moths are attracted to infrared light, which emits the same frequencies and wavelengths as a female moth’s pheromones. However, this doesn’t explain why moths are equally attracted to UV light. Ultraviolet light doesn’t contain any of the frequencies that female moths give off, and male moths are still attracted to it. It could, however, explain some of the behavior of moths when they get burned by a campfire or candlelight. It may be a combination of these things that makes moths have a potentially fatal attraction towards flames.
How to Keep Moths Away From Lights
Change Bulbs
One of the best ways to keep moths away from your porch light is to change the bulb’s color. White bulbs will be much more attractive to moths, possibly due to their attraction to the moon. If you replace these bulbs with darker yellow bulbs, moths and other insects will be less likely to gather in that area.
Use Citronella
Citronella candles are a natural pest deterrent and can be a great replacement for regular candles or lights. While moths are attracted to flames, they’ll be repelled by the scent of the citronella and will stay away at all costs. Not only will this make you more comfortable, but it will also be safer for the moths in the area.
You can also apply citronella oil directly around your porch or any area where you’re experiencing a moth infestation. If you place the oil around the light source, it will heat up when the light is turned on. This heats the oil and spreads the scent around, which will make the moths in the area avoid your porch no matter how tempting the light may be.
Set Out a Light Trap
You can put out a large bowl on your porch with a cup of water and a few drops of liquid dish soap for a DIY light trap. Place this near a white light bulb. The moths will be attracted to the reflection of the bulb in the water and fall into it. The soap makes bubbles, which trap the moths. This is a good way to keep moths from laying eggs around your porch and causing an infestation.
Final Words
While it’s not entirely known why moths are attracted to light, the fact remains that where there are lights at night, there will be moths. Using this information to your advantage when trying to keep moths away from your home can be an effective way of repelling them and ensuring they don’t turn into an infestation.
Suppose you’re dealing with a lot of moths. In that case, no matter how much citronella oil you spread around or how many of your light bulbs you’ve changed, it’s best to call in a the best ways to get rid of it. By taking control of the situation, you can not only make your backyard more comfortable, but you can also prevent moths from burning themselves up in your candles or campfire.
Phototaxis is an organism’s built-in reflex to go toward light or away from it. moths are positive phototactic animals, so they will be attracted to both natural and artificial light sources.
Phototaxis is a kind of taxis, or locomotory movement, that occurs when a whole organism moves towards or away from a stimulus of light. This is advantageous for phototrophic organisms as they can orient themselves most efficiently to receive light for photosynthesis.
is an organism's built-in reflex to go toward light or away from it. moths are positive phototactic animals, so they will be attracted to both natural and artificial light sources.
So a moth's attraction to an artificial light or to a fire could be related to orientation, and lead to disorientation -- the moth wasn't "expecting" to actually get to "the moon" (the light source) or to be able to fly above it, so confusion results.
What draws the moth to the flame. Nocturnal insects appear drawn to artificial lights because they instinctively twist their backs towards bright objects. The instinct to tilt their backs towards the brightest thing available at night — the sky — allows insects to quickly figure out which way is up.
Most moth infestations come from the pantry moth or clothes moths. The most common way to contract a moth infestation is by carrying infected items into the home. Food and clothing items that have larvae or eggs hiding within them can introduce a moth problem when you least expect it.
Many moths are attracted to clothing and fabrics that are composed of materials that are derived from animals. Areas where moths may gather to lay eggs include near plumbing fixtures, under appliances, cracks, and other areas that are dark and isolated. They may be common amongst other attic dwellers.
One of the best ways to keep moths away from your porch light is to change the bulb's color. White bulbs will be much more attractive to moths, possibly due to their attraction to the moon. If you replace these bulbs with darker yellow bulbs, moths and other insects will be less likely to gather in that area.
Moths and other insects are repelled by the pheromones in cedar. Combine dried, crushed, and powdered herbs. Combine the following in a bag that you can hang anywhere you keep clothes or food: lavender, bay leaves, cloves, rosemary, and thyme. Moths also hate the odors of these herbs.
Pantry goods attract moth species that lay their eggs in stored grains and processed products. These pests often come into homes inside infested food packages. Once inside, their eggs hatch into larvae that eat grains, dried nuts, cereals, and a variety of processed products.
Obviously, the clearest indication that you have a clothes moth infestation is visible damage to your clothes, curtains, carpets or any other textile in your home. The damage usually occurs to clothes and carpets that are in dark locations and are not cleaned or laundered regularly.
For an instant kill, cleaning containers using a solution of hot soapy water will instantly kill Pantry Moth Eggs. Additionally, freezing items will kill eggs and larvae, although you must wait 72 hours for this method to be effective.
If you notice moths in your house and don't know where they are coming from, you may want to check your attic, garage, or pantry. Moths also sometimes live underneath carpets or inside of walls. If you see many small moths fluttering about, it might be time to go through your pantry goods.
Moths can be killed using insecticide sprays, pesticides, moth bombs, or natural sprays for kitchen and pantry areas. Pheromone Moth Traps can also be used to catch and kill adult male moths before they can mate with the females and breed in your home.
As such, the goal here is to systematically turn off the lights in your home to lure a moth back outside. You will turn all of the lights off in your house leaving only one light on near your patio. As the moth seeks new light sources to chase, it will usually fly back outside where it belongs.
If moths like the light so much how come they don't come out during the day? Moths don't 'like' light at all. The reason they fly maniacally around bulbs is that in the pre-electric world in which they evolved, they used the moon to navigate by night.
Within folklore, they're typically viewed as either messengers from the dead or symbols of death. Some of the symbolism crosses over with that of the butterfly. It's easy to see why they get muddled up. Both butterflies and moths belong to the Lepidoptera family.
It's, I think, another manifestation of more or less the same phenomenon. The reason that moths end up at porch lights so often, along with other nocturnal flying insects, is to maintain a constant angle relative to a nearby point source of light.
Clothes moths (Tineola bisselliella & Tinea pellionella) The webbing clothes moth, Tineola bisselliella, and the casemaking clothes moth, Tinea pellionella, are occasional fabric pests in Michigan. Clothes moths are weak flyers and are not attracted to lights.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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