LED Lights Equal Mosquito Madness
The use of solar power in homes is becoming increasingly popular. It is a limitless source of clean energy, and our Earth could use a little bit more of that. However, the LED lights that are used could come with an unwanted side effect. Disease-carrying insects are actually attracted to LED lights. And using low-energy LED light bulbs is even worse, as they emit more blue light, which these insects seem to flock towards.
The main insects to watch out for are domestic flies, which carry bacteria that cause trachoma, mosquitos carrying parasites that can cause malaria, dengue, and filariasis, and sandflies, which carry parasites that cause leishmaniasis. Officials are so concerned about this that they are looking to tune LED lights so that they attract less of these insects. Mosquitos are also attracted to the CO2 humans release when we breathe, as well as chemicals released by skin bacteria. So, with humans staying out later thanks to the technology of these lights, mosquitos are now presented with even more food sources later into the night, which is when they prefer to feed.
Did you know that your LED lights attract these disease-carrying insects?
