Yellow Anti-Mosquito Lamps

[nullx8]

I discovered a few times in Big-C and also HomePro

Some thai branded Mosquito lamps

(Standard E27) they makesome Yellow loght with a frequency the beasts not really like and stay away.

Is that just a typical marketing gag to sell inefficient lights for 3 times the money, or do they actually work ?

Anyone have experiences with them ?

[keith101]

have not used the ones here but did work back in aus i imagine same here worth a try

[nullx8]

Here is a picture of a lamp i refering to

[loong]

Most mosquitoes are active at night, when it is dark. They don't like ANY light, whether it be white or yellow.

Of course, under tables etc, in shadow, they will lurk and attack your legs.

The mozzie that infects people with dengue fever is active during the day, so don't know if they are likely to be repelled by yellow light

[David48]

You might find that the yellow is a non-attracting light ... rather then a repelling light.

The Marketing Department then add their spin ...

.

[partington]

You might find that the yellow is a non-attracting light ... rather then a repelling light.

The Marketing Department then add their spin ...

.

This seems absolutely right: official site of American Mosquito Control Association [ http://www.mosquito.org/ ] confirms this:

"If you have a deck, light it using General Electric yellow "Bug Lights". These lights are not repellant, per se, but do not attract mosquitoes like other incandescent lights."

Edited November 25, 2012 by partington

[tig28]

You might find that the yellow is a non-attracting light ... rather then a repelling light.

The Marketing Department then add their spin ...

+1

Referring to yellow florescent tubes only .... they certainly work in so far as they attract significantly less insects when compared to conventional tubes. I would guess a 90%+ reduction.

Interestingly The first one I purchased was a "NEO" brand .... promoted as an anti-insect tube .... it cost about 300--400 Bt.------ this was later replaced with a standard Toshiba yellow tube --- which cost about 120Bt and worked equally as well.

[Crossy]

If you don't want a yellow light you can use LED lamps, they give off zero UV which is what attracts the bugs.

Sent from my Dell Streak using Thaivisa Connect App

[sirineou]

unlike many other insects, as far as I know mosquitoes are not phototropic , they are attracted by CO2

so using different color lights have very little affect on them.

Blacklight "bug zapper"-type traps work for mosquitoes & biting flies

A frequently cited study, Frick, T. B. and D. W. Tallamy. 1996. Density and diversity of nontarget insects killed by suburban electric insect traps. Entomological News. 107(2): 77-82, found that blacklight traps do a poor jobof attracting biting flies like adult female mosquitoes and biting gnats, and, in fact, attracted and killed many more beneficial insect species. The traps were therefore considered to be environmentally harmful because of damage to the natural fauna.

The bottom line - don't use blacklight "bug zapper"-type traps for mosquitoes. If you must use a trap try one of the propane-fueled carbon dioxide traps since they are far more selective and won't attract as many beneficial species (seeUsing Propane Mosquito Traps).

http://www.livingwithbugs.com/mos_blt.html

[loong]

You might find that the yellow is a non-attracting light ... rather then a repelling light.

The Marketing Department then add their spin ...

.

This seems absolutely right: official site of American Mosquito Control Association [ http://www.mosquito.org/ ] confirms this:

"If you have a deck, light it using General Electric yellow "Bug Lights". These lights are not repellant, per se, but do not attract mosquitoes like other incandescent lights."

That is absolute rubbish.

I ask you how many mosquitoes have you seen gathering around any lights?

Mosquitoes avoid bright light.

Most decent articles about protecting yourself against mozzies will suggest that you do not wear dark clothing because the mozzies are more likely to bite you through a black shirt than a white shirt.

You will find many insects are attracted to light including some biting insects such as Gnats, but you will never see mozzies drawn to light.

[partington]

You might find that the yellow is a non-attracting light ... rather then a repelling light.

The Marketing Department then add their spin ...

.

This seems absolutely right: official site of American Mosquito Control Association [ http://www.mosquito.org/ ] confirms this:

"If you have a deck, light it using General Electric yellow "Bug Lights". These lights are not repellant, per se, but do not attract mosquitoes like other incandescent lights."

That is absolute rubbish.

I ask you how many mosquitoes have you seen gathering around any lights?

Mosquitoes avoid bright light.

Most decent articles about protecting yourself against mozzies will suggest that you do not wear dark clothing because the mozzies are more likely to bite you through a black shirt than a white shirt.

You will find many insects are attracted to light including some biting insects such as Gnats, but you will never see mozzies drawn to light.

You are mistaken. Mosquitoes ARE attracted to incandescent lights, and these have therefore been used in mosquito traps for studies for many years. You may not be aware, but these lamps produce UV rays, and heat, both of which are mosquito attractants.

For example from the Los Angeles County Mosquito vector site: http://www.lawestvec...rveillance.htm

"The New Jersey Light Trap continues to be the most widely used adult mosquito trap in California. It is an old trap by design and is most effective in rural environments where there is little competing light sources. Adult mosquitoes are attracted to the all metal trap by a 25-watt incandescent light bulb mounted beneath a wide conical top. Mosquitoes attracted to the light are drawn into the trap by a downward blowing fan through a screened funnel into a quart killing jar containing an adulticide. ....The District rarely uses New Jersey Light Traps for mosquito surveillance because this type of trap performs very poorly in urbanized environments with many competing light sources"

Also from a recent paper in the scientific journal "Parasites and Vectors" where they compare the effectiveness of LED lights of specific wavelengths to attract mosquitoes, and use a 'regular' incandescent light trap ( as used by the Center for Disease Control) as the gold standard to compare it to http://www.parasites.../content/5/1/94 :

"Background

Mosquitoes’ response to artificial lights including color has been exploited in trap designs for improved sampling of mosquito vectors. Earlier studies suggest that mosquitoes are attracted to specific wavelengths of light and thus the need to refine techniques to increase mosquito captures following the development of super-bright light-emitting diodes (LEDs) which emit narrow wavelengths of light or very specific colors. Therefore, we investigated if LEDs can be effective substitutes for incandescent lamps used in CDC light traps for mosquito surveillance, and if so, determine the best color for attraction of important Rift Valley Fever (RFV) vectors."

There are many many other references, but anyway it's clear: mosquitoes ARE attracted to light.

Edited November 25, 2012 by partington

[loong]

Incandescent light bulbs give off heat and I suspect that the heat attracts mosquitoes, not the light.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19852218

A study with LEDs.

A slightly higher % were caught in the unlit traps. Not a massive difference, but a difference.

" Blood-fed mosquitoes were recovered in highest numbers from unlit resting boxes"

The extract doesn't give %, but I would think that we are more concerned with feeding mozzies.

I don't have any incandescent lights in my home, does anyone nowadays?

I never see mozzies congregate around lights in my home, they hide in dark places.

They are attracted to reflected/polarised light, this helps them find water apparently. So mozzies do congregate in our bathroom.

[Somtamnication]

All I can say that the 800 baht "frogs" you buy at homepro work wonders with mosquitoes. It has the purple light inside, and a downward blowing fan, sucking the devils as they approach the frog. It then blows them into a holding area, where they are killed by exhaustion.

I cannot see anyone installing yellow lights UNDER tables. I do not want anyone seeing me scratching my nuts while eating.

[nullx8]

well "for now" i simply want them to stay out of the house

i'm not so much concerned about sitting outside.

this mosquite ptraps have also the downside that tehy very effective DO attract the insects, so its abit of a devil's circle ..

thats why my attention did go straight to this lamps as i did see them, but judging from the posts it was like expected, just a marketing way to sell overpriced non-efficient lighting

professional zappers seem not really existing in THailand too, i see only the cheap junk, which does not exactly work as advertised either.

if a zapper, then a real one. but it turned out to be not as easy as planned to get some of them.

but honestly, i think the UV attraction of this machines is greater as the killing effect they provide.