5 ms·

So one could optimize an outdoor light location design to reduce insects? Like for example an outdoor dining terrace?

micromacrofoot 3y ago
In my experience... kind of. Light isn't the only thing they're attracted to so you'd have to optimize distance and cover different variables for different bugs. One fun thing you can do is relocate small swarms of bugs with a torch to another light source. So if you're being pestered, turn on a torch... and slowly walk the bugs to a different light source (a distant lamp for example). Then turn off the torch and walk back to where you were. The light will keep them there.
- Simon_ORourke 3y ago
  Would or could that be automated? We are hounded from late spring to the fall by all kinds of flying nasties at our front porch. Some led string that moved them all away would be awesome!
  - lawlessone 3y ago
    How about a light on a rail? we could race them around a track taking bets.
  - micromacrofoot 3y ago
    would be interesting to try, it's easy to walk over because you can watch the swarm but if you've got a slow moving light on a string I could imagine it working a bug zapper is a lot easier
fasthands9 3y ago
Still seems a bit tricky unless you have a ton of land? >Only one experiment that we know of has tracked moth trajectories to lights over long distances, and found only 2 of 50 individuals released 85 m from a light source ended their flight their flight there I realize this is a small sample, but seems to suggest that if you placed a lamp in a field that 4% of all bugs within a ~football field in every direction would end up near it. I feel like that may mean placing a lamp 10 feet from where you are going to eat (or whatever) may actually attract more insects to that general area. But I'm having trouble understanding some of their methods
bee_rider 3y ago
I’m not sure if there’s interesting optimization to do. Simply: bugs are attracted to light, light=more bugs, no light=fewer bugs. Motion detectors, for example, can make it so that the light is only temporary and you don’t get those moth parties.
- stinos 3y ago
  bugs are attracted to light Isn't the takeaway from this study that they aren't really, but rather that once they happen to come close to it they cannot get away from it anymore?
  - joemi 3y ago
    The effect is the same (for the purposes of an outdoor dining area), and I believe that's what they were referring to. Perhaps a better way to word it would be: bugs will go towards a local light.
throw_pm23 3y ago
What do you want to reduce further, a large fraction of insect-species are already getting extinct across most of the developed world.
- falserum 3y ago
  May I inquire where do you live? Urban or rural?
  - throw_pm23 3y ago
    In Europe most insect ecosystems are collapsing, in both rural and urban areas. The first likely due to agriculture chemicals, the second possibly due to other reasons.
paiute 3y ago
Bug bulbs: https://www.amazon.com/Edison-A19-14W-LED-Light/dp/B089QXZ8RS/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=led+bug+light&qid=1706647135&sr=8-4 https://www.amazon.com/Edison-A19-14W-LED-Light/dp/B089QXZ8R...
phreeza 3y ago
Maybe some sort of directional lighting funnel that attracts insects on one side and the guides them out in a direction away from humans?

In my experience... kind of. Light isn't the only thing they're attracted to so you'd have to optimize distance and cover different variables for different bugs. One fun thing you can do is relocate small swarms of bugs with a torch to another light source. So if you're being pestered, turn on a torch... and slowly walk the bugs to a different light source (a distant lamp for example). Then turn off the torch and walk back to where you were. The light will keep them there.

Simon_ORourke 3y ago
Would or could that be automated? We are hounded from late spring to the fall by all kinds of flying nasties at our front porch. Some led string that moved them all away would be awesome!
- lawlessone 3y ago
  How about a light on a rail? we could race them around a track taking bets.
- micromacrofoot 3y ago
  would be interesting to try, it's easy to walk over because you can watch the swarm but if you've got a slow moving light on a string I could imagine it working a bug zapper is a lot easier

fasthands9 3y ago

Still seems a bit tricky unless you have a ton of land? >Only one experiment that we know of has tracked moth trajectories to lights over long distances, and found only 2 of 50 individuals released 85 m from a light source ended their flight their flight there I realize this is a small sample, but seems to suggest that if you placed a lamp in a field that 4% of all bugs within a ~football field in every direction would end up near it. I feel like that may mean placing a lamp 10 feet from where you are going to eat (or whatever) may actually attract more insects to that general area. But I'm having trouble understanding some of their methods

bee_rider 3y ago

I’m not sure if there’s interesting optimization to do. Simply: bugs are attracted to light, light=more bugs, no light=fewer bugs. Motion detectors, for example, can make it so that the light is only temporary and you don’t get those moth parties.

stinos 3y ago
bugs are attracted to light Isn't the takeaway from this study that they aren't really, but rather that once they happen to come close to it they cannot get away from it anymore?
- joemi 3y ago
  The effect is the same (for the purposes of an outdoor dining area), and I believe that's what they were referring to. Perhaps a better way to word it would be: bugs will go towards a local light.

throw_pm23 3y ago

What do you want to reduce further, a large fraction of insect-species are already getting extinct across most of the developed world.

falserum 3y ago
May I inquire where do you live? Urban or rural?
- throw_pm23 3y ago
  In Europe most insect ecosystems are collapsing, in both rural and urban areas. The first likely due to agriculture chemicals, the second possibly due to other reasons.

paiute 3y ago

Bug bulbs: https://www.amazon.com/Edison-A19-14W-LED-Light/dp/B089QXZ8RS/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=led+bug+light&qid=1706647135&sr=8-4 https://www.amazon.com/Edison-A19-14W-LED-Light/dp/B089QXZ8R...

phreeza 3y ago

Maybe some sort of directional lighting funnel that attracts insects on one side and the guides them out in a direction away from humans?