(Newswire.net — March 11, 2019) — There’s plenty of research regarding pest control, and one of the most interesting pieces of research is the use of blue LED light for pest control. It goes without saying that insects and pests can be a nuisance. They not only spread disease, but also damage food and property. Not all insects are harmful but pests, for example, can be very costly to farmers. There are numerous ways to deal with pests, but farmers are still using chemicals as a remedy. These chemicals are not friendly to the environment as they are toxic. That’s why we need innovative ways to control pests that are not health hazardous yet economical.
A team of researchers from Japan has established that specific blue LED light frequencies work well to effectively, safely and affordably kill insects. The research focused on different inspects species and how they were affected by different blue-light wavelengths.
Blue LED Light for Pest Control
Visible Light
Unlike other studies that are based on the biological effects of shortwave, ultraviolet light, this one is unique as it focuses on how visible light affects insects and how the knowledge can be used for pest control. A better understanding of alternative methods of pest control is more critical than ever before as farmers seek environmentally friendly ways of dealing with pests.
In their study, the researchers picked three different types of insects including a type of mosquito, fruit fly and flour beetle. They chose the various species of insects for several reasons.
For example, mosquitoes were of particular interest because they transmit diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, West Nile fever among other ailments. The flour beetle, on the other hand, likes to find a home in stored grain products and can damage stored food. One of the main objectives of the study was to establish whether or not blue LED light irradiation had different effects across multiple insect orders. Fruit flies, for example, have a short life cycles, which makes studying the impact of blue LED light much easier.
Species-Specific Effects
An interesting result of the study established that toxic wavelengths of visible light affect different insect species differently. Simply put, each insect species reacted in different ways of different light wavelengths.
In their discussion report, the researchers suggested that using blue LED light in sources of water containing mosquito eggs, pupae and larvae, could go a long way in helping to prevent outbreaks of diseases caused by mosquitoes. Similarly, blue LED light can come in handy in controlling pests in homes in sanitation and food storage.
Bottom Line
The researchers used LED lighting units that could change color, wavelengths, and tone, to make it easier to compare different wavelengths. Moreover, LED light is energy efficient, which makes it a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to control insects and pests.
There’s still a need for more research on blue LED light for pest control to determine the optimal levels for application in real-world situations. Based on the findings of the study, several wavelengths of blue LED light are needed for controlling multiple insect species simultaneously.