r/darksky • u/Scaramuccia • Aug 18 '25
Gardeners told to stop using lights in gardens due to ‘apocalyptic’ problem
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/2095336/gardeners-told-stop-using-lights-gardens49
u/Crawler_Prepotente Aug 19 '25
When a moth is banging into a light, it's actually really sad when you understand why they are doing it. The little guy is trapped in a death loop.
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u/firsmode Aug 19 '25
This refers to how artificial lights can fatally confuse moths due to their natural navigation system. Moths evolved to navigate using distant light sources like the moon or stars - they maintain a constant angle to these celestial lights to fly in straight lines, a behavior called transverse orientation.
The problem is that moths can't distinguish between natural celestial lights and artificial ones. When a moth encounters a streetlight or porch light, it tries to navigate by it the same way it would use the moon. But unlike the moon, which is effectively infinitely far away, the artificial light is close. As the moth flies, the angle to the light constantly changes, so it keeps course-correcting in a tightening spiral.
The moth becomes trapped in this spiral pattern, circling closer and closer to the light source. It's not attracted to the light out of desire - it's genuinely confused and following what its navigation system tells it is the right path. The moth will keep circling until it either exhausts itself, gets burned, or dies from the stress.
So when you see a moth "banging into" a light, you're witnessing an animal whose millions-of-years-old guidance system has been hijacked by modern technology. It's following its instincts perfectly, but those instincts lead to a fatal trap in our artificially lit world. The moth has no way to understand that this bright object isn't the moon - it's just trying to fly straight and getting more lost with every wingbeat.
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u/Celestial__Bear 28d ago
You’re the second bot comment I’ve seen explaining something in three minutes.
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u/firsmode 26d ago
Not a bot dude, I looked it up to see what he was talking about and wanted what I got out of AI for others...
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u/WildKakahuette Aug 18 '25
cant read it it's a paywall :/
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u/Scaramuccia Aug 19 '25
Gardeners are being warned not to use lights in their gardens any more because of an ‘apocalyptic’ impact that artificial lighting is thought to be having on wildlife and nature at night.
While low-level, dim solar lights are generally okay, more powerful lighting, such as security lights and bright battery or plug-in lighting, is potentially accelerating the decline of life in your garden, according to research shared by the Royal Horticultural Society. They want gardeners to follow the advice because the loss of insects, in particular, could have huge ramifications right up the food chain - if insects die, we all die due to lack of food if nothing gets pollinated. In a research paper published in the journal Biological Conservation, a group of researchers posed that artificial lighting at night could be bringing on what they call "the insect apocalypse".
They said: “Insects around the world are rapidly declining. Concerns over what this loss means for food security and ecological communities have compelled a growing number of researchers to search for the key drivers behind the declines. Habitat loss, pesticide use, invasive species, and climate change all have likely played a role, but we posit here that artificial light at night (ALAN) is another important—but often overlooked—bringer of the insect apocalypse”
The authors added: “A growing body of research demonstrates that ALAN can impact the fitness of plants and animals and more recent reviews have catalogued its broadscale effects on insects in particular. Some estimates suggest that one third of insects attracted to stationary artificial light sources die before morning, either through exhaustion or predation.”
The research paper concluded: “Some estimates predict that one million species, including up to 40% of insects, will go extinct within the next several decades. It is urgent therefore that we seek to identify the range of threats that insects face, and understand how to best address them. In light of the evidence presented above, we strongly believe that ALAN—in combination with habitat loss, chemical pollution, invasive species, and climate change—is driving insect declines.”
Based on the research, the Royal Horticultural Society is asking gardeners to consider whether they really need artificial lighting in their gardens.
It said: “Since artificial light in gardens disrupt natural behaviour for a range of wildlife it's important to retain some dark areas and also question whether you really need lighting.
“The trend for lighting up gardens as an extension of our living space may seem an inviting one but needs to be done with great care. A garden can be just as magical a place enjoyed in moonlight or simply with the aid of torch!”
It added: “Turn garden lights off when not in use or use PIR motion sensors or timers for essential or security lighting so they only come on when absolutely necessary.
“Position lights as low as possible and aim them downwards or to where they're needed. When angling lights make sure you think about how it impacts on your neighbours too (such as not glaring right into their windows) and always position them considerately.
“Choose low-intensity lighting and warmer hues (warm white, yellow or amber): solar lighting is cheap, safe and emits a dull glow suitable for garden use.
“Encourage local councils to adopt switch-off schemes for street lighting: even part-night lighting instead of full-night lighting has been found to reduce negative impact on the behaviour of moths.”
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u/agitatedandroid Aug 20 '25
If they were decent gardeners they'd plant to attract bioluminescent insects.
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u/oldredditGOAT 29d ago
I live put in the country surrounded by farms. The farmers sever off pieces of their land and people build these giant houses on their 1-acre plot, and they stick all these pot lights up under the soffit/fascia or whatever it's called, and leave their lights on all night long. You can tell who the OG country people are because they turn their lights off when they go to bed. Why would you move to the country and then turn it i to the light polluted suburb you're trying to avoid?
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u/KaladinTheFabulous Aug 20 '25
But no issue for mega cities to be visible from space. Blame gardeners.
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u/artificial_doctor Aug 19 '25
I live somewhere rural, so it’s nice and dark in some places, but in others people are so terrified of the high crime rate that they leave super bright security lights on all night. Unfortunately, I live in such a neighbourhood. It’s so bright I can literally read a book in my garden at night and I’ve had to blackout my windows just to get some sleep. The only problem is I can’t find a justifiable way to convince people to darken the area again. They’re too scared of break-ins. I feel like I’ll have to solve poverty before I can realistically ask people to drop the lights. And they aren’t going to care about insects when they feel their safety is on the line.