AlexGT
Flashlight Enthusiast
Hey beamrider, where do I get one of those, mosquito "nuke" machines? 100,000 a night?, wow! really? any URL´s cost?
Thnx
Alex
Thnx
Alex
LEDs and mosquitos?
- Thread starter Lux Luthor
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Evan
Enlightened
NPR did a piece on catching mosquitos to test for west nile virus a while back. They were hanging this contraption in sewers which they described as a thermos of dry ice, a flashlight bulb, and a fan that sucked them into the collecting bag. It seemed the mosquitos are attracted to warmth and CO2. I don't see what a blue LED would do except look cool. On the other hand, I'd expect a blue LED to attract bugs in general.
Luff
Enlightened
Off topic, but apparently of interest ... regarding mosquito control:
What DOES NOT work
What DOES work
(Craig was dead-on, as usual!) Expensive, but effective.
On topic: My zoologist friend was no help on the color issue, so I did a Google search and found:
A decent, if limited study
Summary:
Red attracted 0.6% of the insects;
Yellow 2.1%
Green 3.8%
White 4.2%
Blue 26.5%
Black (UV) 62.8%
So, as Rosanna Anna Danna would say: that's that about that!
Just remember, mosquitoes couldn't care less what color you use ...
Off topic, short story: When out camping with the troop last summer, we had a group of Scouts who'd heard about a tick trap and came prepared to try it out. They put a chunk of dry ice in a coffee can, put on a lid with a small hole in it and wrapped it all in an inch-thick layer of newspaper as insulation so the dry ice would evaporate slowly. They set the wrapped can on top of a short metal coffee cup in the middle of a cake pan filled with soapy water. The next morning, the pan had hundreds of dead ticks in it and a fair load of mosquitoes. FWIW, there were no ticks on Scouts and only a few had mosquitoe bites.
What DOES NOT work
What DOES work
(Craig was dead-on, as usual!) Expensive, but effective.
On topic: My zoologist friend was no help on the color issue, so I did a Google search and found:
A decent, if limited study
Summary:
Red attracted 0.6% of the insects;
Yellow 2.1%
Green 3.8%
White 4.2%
Blue 26.5%
Black (UV) 62.8%
So, as Rosanna Anna Danna would say: that's that about that!
Just remember, mosquitoes couldn't care less what color you use ...
Off topic, short story: When out camping with the troop last summer, we had a group of Scouts who'd heard about a tick trap and came prepared to try it out. They put a chunk of dry ice in a coffee can, put on a lid with a small hole in it and wrapped it all in an inch-thick layer of newspaper as insulation so the dry ice would evaporate slowly. They set the wrapped can on top of a short metal coffee cup in the middle of a cake pan filled with soapy water. The next morning, the pan had hundreds of dead ticks in it and a fair load of mosquitoes. FWIW, there were no ticks on Scouts and only a few had mosquitoe bites.
Many of our mosquitoes weigh a pound.
And we have a lot around here in the Northwoods. We have been using white LED lights for several years and they don't seem to care. I'm almost glad for snow today rather than mosquitoes and don't forget black flies and the above-mentioned ticks. Fortunately we don't have many deer ticks and have little concern about Lyme disease.
And we have a lot around here in the Northwoods. We have been using white LED lights for several years and they don't seem to care. I'm almost glad for snow today rather than mosquitoes and don't forget black flies and the above-mentioned ticks. Fortunately we don't have many deer ticks and have little concern about Lyme disease.
Tesla
Enlightened
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by witsend:
Many of our mosquitoes weigh a pound.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
We don't bother with a pound scale in Texas...metric scales graded in kilograms are more utilitarian here!
Many of our mosquitoes weigh a pound.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
We don't bother with a pound scale in Texas...metric scales graded in kilograms are more utilitarian here!
Ours sit on tree branches and bark
shankus
Flashlight Enthusiast
Check out these posts:
Re: How Do You Like Your Everleds? - Lambda
Re: How Do You Like Your Everleds? - shankus
Re: How Do You Like Your Everleds? - Lambda
Re: How Do You Like Your Everleds? - shankus
Charles Bradshaw
Flashlight Enthusiast
Flourescent, including CCFT emit UV and heat. So that accounts for the attraction.
I have used LED lights outside at night, when taking the trash down (best time to test out the new purchases). I have found that my Arc LSes and other LED lights, including the lightwave 4000 do not attract bugs. With one exception: the X5T white, as it does get warm at the head.
The Coleman and certain other electronic repellers emit the sound of a mosquito hawk. These do work, as a friend of mine and I can attest to (coleman single AA model): keeps them about 6 feet away. I think they also repel Deer Flies (far worse than mosquitos).
I have used LED lights outside at night, when taking the trash down (best time to test out the new purchases). I have found that my Arc LSes and other LED lights, including the lightwave 4000 do not attract bugs. With one exception: the X5T white, as it does get warm at the head.
The Coleman and certain other electronic repellers emit the sound of a mosquito hawk. These do work, as a friend of mine and I can attest to (coleman single AA model): keeps them about 6 feet away. I think they also repel Deer Flies (far worse than mosquitos).
The_LED_Museum
*Retired*
There's a mosquito killer in the Lifestyle Fascinations catalogue that uses blue LEDs to help attract them, in addition to a phoney pheremone and CO2 generated from some kind of propane catalyst. Then it vaccumes them up into some kind of dessiccator to kill them. I have no handy way to test this however, so YMCAPWV (your mileage can and probably will vary).
But I'm guessing that blue, royal blue, and probably violet LEDs would suck if you had them in a flashlight and didn't want to become bitten by mosquitos.
But I'm guessing that blue, royal blue, and probably violet LEDs would suck if you had them in a flashlight and didn't want to become bitten by mosquitos.
IsaacHayes
Flashlight Enthusiast
Heat too attracts them. Keep in mind that an incandecent will emit heat from the beam as wasted energy. An LED won't.
I belive that is the main attraction over what freq's they can see.
I belive that is the main attraction over what freq's they can see.
I have used led lights frequently on night fishing trips and it makes a noticable difference compared to incandesent lights when it comes to attracting flying insects.My best no bug light is a somewhat greenish white LS 2D to 3C mod done by Electrolumens. However when it comes to mosqitoes, lights not everything. They are attracted primarily to the carbon dioxide emitted in our breath and I have noticed wearing colonge definitely brings bugs in for another look too. I try to keep the battery powered lights off as much as possible and when I'm fishing at night I use a cintronella candle in a pail. It gives off just the right amount of light and nice sizzle-pop sound when the bugs fly into it.he he later
Ahhhh......the power of propane.....and money /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif!!!!
http://www.swinginggate.com/momapro.html
http://www.swinginggate.com/momapro.html
highlandsun
Enlightened
Hm... I've read that mosquitoes are attracted to heat and CO2, but are they detecting the heat as infrared light (optically) or as temperature gradient (thermally)?
And do they detect the CO2 by direct sensing (chemical receptor) or optically (spectroscopically)?
I've also heard that in general, insect vision extends into the UV range, which seems to rule out mosquitoes sensing heat from the infrared radiation.
I'm happy to keep using my red InReTechs now, knowing they'll attract the fewest other miscellaneous bugs. I would still love to have an LED light that blinds insects, that should render them slightly less effective in their attacks.
And do they detect the CO2 by direct sensing (chemical receptor) or optically (spectroscopically)?
I've also heard that in general, insect vision extends into the UV range, which seems to rule out mosquitoes sensing heat from the infrared radiation.
I'm happy to keep using my red InReTechs now, knowing they'll attract the fewest other miscellaneous bugs. I would still love to have an LED light that blinds insects, that should render them slightly less effective in their attacks.
Lux Luthor
Flashlight Enthusiast
[ QUOTE ]
highlandsun said:...I'm happy to keep using my red InReTechs now, knowing they'll attract the fewest other miscellaneous bugs...
[/ QUOTE ]
I usually use amber, or sometimes even red/orange, for trecking through the woods. I carry a white LED spot beam for intermittent use. I notice fewer bugs over keeping white LEDs on all the time. The number of mosquito bites I get seems to be about the same, though, confirming what others have said on this thread.
highlandsun said:...I'm happy to keep using my red InReTechs now, knowing they'll attract the fewest other miscellaneous bugs...
[/ QUOTE ]
I usually use amber, or sometimes even red/orange, for trecking through the woods. I carry a white LED spot beam for intermittent use. I notice fewer bugs over keeping white LEDs on all the time. The number of mosquito bites I get seems to be about the same, though, confirming what others have said on this thread.
highlandsun
Enlightened
Found some interesting reading from the University of Alaska:
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF12/1205.html
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF14/1495.html
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF13/1344.html
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF12/1205.html
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF14/1495.html
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF13/1344.html
Hemingray
Enlightened
Skeeters sense heat (IR) not with their eyes, but with thise feathery looking antennae on their heads. Heat, odors, CO2, and low frequency sounds attract them, supposedly some high frequency/ultrasonic sounds will repel them, along with DEET, citronella, and who knows, maybe a good stinky cigar
smoke cloud...
I have various AC powered LED lights running a long term life test around the house, I find that the green and the cyan ones end up attracting spiders, which will build their webs on or near them, they ignore red, yellow and orange, and seem indifferent to white LED light, I haven't yet tried blue or royal blue, I have made up a 5W RB outdoor "lantern" I ws going to hang off the far corner of the rear porch and see if it becomes an "attraction" for night flying bugs. I'll have ot over my small turtle pond, if any bugs are attracted, they might fall into the water and become turtle food. A small fluorescent blacklight worked well for this purpose when I tried it out a couple years ago.
/ed B in NH
smoke cloud...
I have various AC powered LED lights running a long term life test around the house, I find that the green and the cyan ones end up attracting spiders, which will build their webs on or near them, they ignore red, yellow and orange, and seem indifferent to white LED light, I haven't yet tried blue or royal blue, I have made up a 5W RB outdoor "lantern" I ws going to hang off the far corner of the rear porch and see if it becomes an "attraction" for night flying bugs. I'll have ot over my small turtle pond, if any bugs are attracted, they might fall into the water and become turtle food. A small fluorescent blacklight worked well for this purpose when I tried it out a couple years ago.
/ed B in NH
BugLightGeek
Flashlight Enthusiast
Cool...let us know about your project results.
We have a lot of spiders here in Missouri too.
We have a lot of spiders here in Missouri too.
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