How Light Pollution Affects Insects

How does human-made light pollution affect nocturnal animals? In this video, Alex Dainis outlines how light pollution could be changing the DNA of bugs. Many animals, including insects, have evolved to be nocturnal, meaning they follow light cues from the sun to be more active during the night. Artificial lights thus can confuse these animals’ bodily systems. One study showed that when crickets were exposed to a pulsing light at night affected the expression of their circadian rhythm genes - the very genes that determine our awake asleep patterns. You can help prevent light pollution by making sure lights are directed down at the ground, using motion sensing lights, and contacting your representatives to advocate for legislature to protect our dark night skies!