Light can be used in many different ways. Whether it be to light up your home or brighten up a photo’s background, light is extremely useful. The same applies for when light is applied to pest control situations. This article will go over how blue LED light for pest control has become a popular method of getting rid of insects and pests, and how this technology may become the future of pest control.
What LED Light Is More Attractive To Pests?
Generally, pests see three colors of light: green, blue and Ultraviolet (UV). Bluish or bright white lights are the most attractive lights to pests. While orange, yellowish and pinkish are the least attractive ones to most pests.
As for LED lights that are more bluish or “cool white” are more attractive to pests than the more yellowish or warmer lights.
Blue LED Light for Pest Control - Progressive Pest Control
The Study
As an illustration, a study conducted at the Tohoku University shows that certain frequencies of LED light (blue in color) can be an affordable, safe and effective method to kill insects.
To conduct the research, the 4 researchers used 3 different kinds of pesticide-related insects such as Tribolium confusum, Drosophila melanogaster, and Culex pipiens molestus.
The team used the C. pipiens molestus mosquitos as they transmit diseases like yellow fever and malaria. The T. Confusum is a flour beetle. The C. pipiens molestus and D. melanogaster fall under a group called Diptera, but the T. confusum falls under Coleoptera.
The team used different insects is to see the effects of blue light across them. The D. melanogaster is a fruit fly whose life cycle is short. Hence, studying the impacts of blue LED light is easy.
The Results
As expected, the toxic wavelengths reacted differently depending on each insect species. For instance, the D. melanogaster pupae had a lower tolerance to blue-light irradiation than the C. pipiens molestus mosquitos. Over 90 percent and 70 percent of pupae died when exposed to the wavelengths of 467 nm and 440 nm correspondingly.
As for any irradiated egg that survived the blue-light and hatched, most of the hatchlings did not last for long.
The four researchers wanted to see how different wavelengths of blue LED light can affect various insects. To make a comparison of different wavelengths, the team decided to use LED lighting units. This lighting is easy to manipulate its tone, color, and wavelength.
What makes this research special is the fact that the team concentrated on the biological impacts of visible LED light on insects. They aimed at identifying the effects of spectrums so that they can know the different uses of visible light. Specifically, the researchers wanted to see whether the LED light can replace traditional pesticides.
What The Research Suggests
According to this team, irradiation of any water source that has pupae, mosquito eggs and larvae can indeed hinder outbreaks of mosquito-related illnesses. More so, you can use the LED blue-light irradiation to control pest in sanitation and food storage.
Furthermore, LED is highly energy efficient. For that, it is a cost-effective and green pest control method.
Conclusion
To sum it up, we can confidently state that blue LED light is more effective than most traditional methods of pest control. Using traditional ways to manage pests is less effective than LED light because these chemicals are highly toxic to the food sources, water and air. Having said so, then blue LED light is the best option to control all the pests carrying diseases or those destroying your crops. Although prior to choosing a pest control method, it’s important to do your research to figure out which method would be best for you.
