UV Lamps and Flies: So crazy, it just might work?

[cmyk]

During summer, the inevitable handful of flies or moths will make their way indoors, as the kids are constantly running in and out to play.

I find flying insects in the house to be the pinnacle of annoying. I also hate chasing them with a swatter, using bug spray indoors, or any other passive method, like fly paper (gross).

So, I notice at night, these vermin are of course naturally drawn to the one or two lights I have on in the house. These are usually the lights I'm working, reading or otherwise relaxing by.

Let's say I were to find a small, fluorescent UV lamp*, and plug it in to a sequestered, rarely used corner of the house. I'm assuming they'd find it far more compelling than the incandescent lamps I'm around...

Might this be an effective way to simply draw them away from me, so we can just both live (and hopefully they can eventually die) in peace?


*I'm not necessarily talking about a bug zapper here, either. I wouldn't want a thing like that indoors.

[Crazyhorse]

That is basically how a bug zapper works minus the zapper part. The problem is that the light could also draw more outside bugs inside. But they will go to any source of light so the UV has competition from any TVs, computers, florescent bulbs, etc. and even regular lighting.

It might work as a temporary decoy for some of them but it won't draw them all like a magnet. It sounds like what you need is a few spiders.

[cmyk]

Originally Posted by Crazyhorse

That is basically how a bug zapper works minus the zapper part. The problem is that the light could also draw more outside bugs inside. But they will go to any source of light so the UV has competition from any TVs, computers, florescent bulbs, etc. and even regular lighting.

It might work as a temporary decoy for some of them but it won't draw them all like a magnet. It sounds like what you need is a few spiders.

But -- but I hate spiders!

Okay, I wasn't sure if the UV would be sufficiently more compelling over standard incandescent. I wouldn't be worried about attracting more bugs in from the outside, because my house is hermetically sealed for maximum AC!

I was thinking more about night time, after the kids are in for the night (or asleep), and just some kind of decoy to get the handful of bugs that stowaway while the kids are running in and out.

Perhaps if I shut off all the lights, then turn on a lamp in the garage... they''ll all come like a moth toward the flame! (mwahahhahahaaa!)