Can Black Light Detect Bed Bugs

Finding bed bugs in a dark room is a difficult task but uv light can make it easier to see them.

Can black light detect bed bugs.

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. They can however help you to determine the presence of bedbug excrement which contains human blood. Live bed bugs leave clusters of dark brown or black spots of dried excrement on infested surfaces. The basic principle that uv lights follow is that they emit ultraviolet light.

Bed bugs are hiding experts so anything that makes detecting bed bugs easier can be beneficial. Detecting bed bugs can be difficult as they are small in size and able to hide in tiny cracks and crevices. The ultraviolet spectrum is invisible to the human eye so even though it looks purple the light itself is actually invisible. The main reason is heat generation.

However evidence of a bed bug infestation may be found in bedding and on mattresses. So can black lights help you detect bed bugs. Phosphors in many insects shells absorb ultraviolet light and give off visible light. But do not take that as a recommendation.

In large numbers these dark red pin point sized dots can be seen with the naked eye. A bed bug uv light would require a long time of shining on the bugs to generate enough heat to eliminate them. Uv light makes bed bugs more visible.