Will UV LEDs attract blowflies?

[TorchBoy]

I went caving in the weekend and we had big trouble with blowflies in one cave, which followed us from a short way inside the entrance to deep into the cave, presumably attracted by the light from our headlamps. Also a worry was that we were crawling through a small passage and couldn't bat them away. If we had dropped a light near the entrance with UV LEDs (either steady or flashing) would the blowflies have been attracted to it instead of us?

 

[DM51]

I could be wrong, but I thought blowflies were not really bothered one way or the other about light, but were far more attracted to... er, how shall I put this... well, shall we say, "airborne particles resulting from insufficient attention to personal hygiene," lol.

Whatever the case, I think I will move it out of the highly sanitized conditions pertaining here in the 'Homemade & Modified' environment, and into the bracing open air of 'General Flashlight Discussion', where others may be able to assist you in your search for a solution to this delicate and most embarrassing personal problem.

 

[TorchBoy]

The Homemade and Modified I would have thought would be the least sanitary (and sane) place on the board, perhaps with the exception of the Cafe. And thanks for the implied state of our hygiene. One of the guys did say it was the worst smelling cave he had been in, and (for example) that he kept getting whiffs of stale urine...

I found the only way we could get a temporary break from the flies was when I shone my headlamp down the passage, whereupon most of them were attracted to where I was shining it.

Why were they down there? (Why were we down there?) A short way inside the entrance one of the younger guys stood on something that broke with a crack. He made a wisecrack about breaking his leg. I mentioned "Actually that might not be that funny. Look what you stood on." It was a bone.

So maybe it wasn't just us.

 

[65535]

They probably were attracted to the warmth from your bodies, but really wanted to find the smell that they think is food.

 

[TorchBoy]

This might do the job, but I doubt it would be rugged enough. I was thinking more of replacing some (not all) of the white LEDs in something like this bedside light or this camping light.

 

[TorchBoy]

They probably were attracted to the warmth from your bodies, but really wanted to find the smell that they think is food.

You're probably right, but shining the light away did have an affect. Do UV bug zappers attract blowflies? I've got a vague memory a chef friend told me they don't.

 

[jzmtl]

Just bring this along next time then.

 

[TorchBoy]

Just bring this along next time then.

:twothumbs

Someone did mutter that he wished he'd brought his. Sadly there wasn't room to swing it in the passage we were in. I was often wondering "How am I going to do this with my helmet on?"

I did take off my helmet at one point... to kill a fly with it. It was very satisfying, but didn't impress everyone else. "That wouldn't have been hard" was their only response.

 

[DM51]

It could be that the decomposing remains of an unfortunately deceased animal was what had attracted the blowflies to the cave. The unbleached bone you show in your photograph provides some evidence to support this view.

However, on examining the photo more closely, I feel we cannot rule out the possibility that it is the putrefaction of the feet inside those trainers that may be to blame.