Why Do Roaches Hate Light?

Roaches are nocturnal animals — that’s a fact!

They love hiding and crawling in the darkest environments because they feel safer, away from potential predators or other disturbances.

This is also why most homeowners ensure their properties are well-lit; to protect their homes and keep roaches at bay.

But have you ever wondered why tiny pests like roaches are not attracted to light?

Roaches are known not to be attracted to any light source, whether artificial or natural, but the reason behind it?

Now that’s a mystery we need to solve!

This guide explores the relationship between roaches and light sources. Let’s also talk about whether it’s possible to use light to deter roaches at home.

The Fascinating Truth Between Roaches and Light

Because roaches are nocturnal animals, they are more used to going out at night to look for food, shelter, mate, and breeding grounds.

These creatures are more active at night and take time off during the day. You won’t find any roach looking for food when the sun’s up, except when they need to.

So, the next question is, are roaches afraid of the light?

Technically, they are not. But these creatures don’t prefer anything bright simply because of their lifestyle.

Roaches have been used to going out when there’s no light, so any light source can make them feel distressed.

Avoiding Light Is Roaches’ Way of Survival

The main reason why roaches avoid light is to survive. When there’s light, the surroundings are clear enough for predators to spot these pests and devour them.

For roaches, light serves as a danger warning. They need to act quickly because it’s a life-and-death situation. More commonly known as a light aversion strategy, roaches have evolved to conclude that when there’s light, it means danger.

But, if you still see roaches crawling during the daytime, this means one thing. They have exhausted all possible means of their food sources and are on the hunt for more.

A few roaches have gotten used to the light because they need to adapt to their surroundings to survive. This is also why you can still spot roaches in your home, even when it’s well-lit.

Wood Roaches and Light

As we mentioned, particular species can work well with light. An example is the wood roach.

Wood roaches are rare roach species that can thrive well even when the place is too bright. These pests are attracted to light, so they won’t avoid it.

When wood roaches see that the insides of the house are well-lit, they will become interested to enter the house and thrive there.

Even though they are more used to spending time outdoors looking for food, wood roaches have evolved to adapt to any surrounding with bright light.

Using Light To Get Rid of Roaches

Most homeowners took advantage of the fact that roaches try to avoid light to deter them at home.

Some install small lamps and keep them turned on at night to protect their rooms from these pests. And while using light can work, it won’t always be successful.

Some roaches have gotten used to visiting environments with light sources, so they have adjusted to it. This means they can survive and look for food even when the lights are on.

Moreover, using lamps while you sleep does not decrease the chance of the roaches going over your bed and crawling on you. And even when you have the bright lights on, roaches are smart enough to locate dark spots where they can hide while looking for food.

Remember that they are tiny pests that can fit anywhere. Don’t forget that the particular roach species matter too. You need to know whether the roaches in your home are attracted to the lights or not.

For instance, when dealing with wood roaches, it’s almost impossible to keep them away using bright light sources because they love them. You must get more creative and think of other ways to repel them.

Roaches Are Not Fond of the Light

Roaches are cold-blooded creatures who prefer living at night to seek food and breed.

They are less disturbed during nighttime when predators are less likely to be able to see them. Seeing the light means it’s danger, and roaches will try their best to avoid these places.

However, you also need to know that roaches can adapt to the light when they reed to go out and look for food. And because of this, using light as a roach repellent might not always work at home.