Can Black Light Detect Bed Bugs

Detecting bed bugs can be difficult as they are small in size and able to hide in tiny cracks and crevices.

Can black light detect bed bugs.

But do not take that as a recommendation. Bed bugs are visible to the naked human eye however you can only spot the adults with basic vision as the nymphs have a clear appearance which helps them to go unnoticed. The basic principle that uv lights follow is that they emit ultraviolet light. Uv light makes bed bugs more visible.

Phosphors in many insects shells absorb ultraviolet light and give off visible light. Finding bed bugs in a dark room is a difficult task but uv light can make it easier to see them. The main reason is heat generation. They can however help you to determine the presence of bedbug excrement which contains human blood.

Bed bugs are hiding experts so anything that makes detecting bed bugs easier can be beneficial. Live bed bugs leave clusters of dark brown or black spots of dried excrement on infested surfaces. However evidence of a bed bug infestation may be found in bedding and on mattresses. The ultraviolet spectrum is invisible to the human eye so even though it looks purple the light itself is actually invisible.

In large numbers these dark red pin point sized dots can be seen with the naked eye. All of us know that bed bugs are keen on darkness and eager to avoid light at all costs but there is no evidence that light can kill the bed bugs. No black light systems don t help you to spot the bugs themselves.