Optimising the insect trap rate of solar lights: An application of a linear mixed-effects model to count data

Sustainable and eco-friendly insect management practices are increasingly important in modern agriculture due to the adverse effects of chemical pesticides on ecosystems and human health. Solar insect light traps using colored light sources provide an environmentally safe alternative for insect control with minimal or no adhesive use. This study analysed the performance of a solar insect light trap developed at the Centre of Excellence for Mango, Dapoli, Maharashtra, India, with the aim of identifying the optimum environmental and operational conditions for maximum insect catch.

The experiment evaluated insect catches under six different coloured solar light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs positioned at three different heights and operated during three different time periods across varying temperature conditions. Count data regression modelling was initially applied to identify significant explanatory variables, followed by a linear mixed-effects model on the reduced dataset to determine the optimum factor combination. The analysis revealed that the highest insect catch occurred at a temperature of 26 °C using a white solar LED light fixed at a height of 150 cm.

The findings demonstrate that insect trapping efficiency is strongly influenced by temperature, light colour, and trap height. The study establishes that a white solar LED trap positioned at 150 cm under 26 °C conditions provide the most effective insect capture. These results contribute to the advancement of sustainable pest management by optimising eco-friendly trapping strategies that can reduce dependence on chemical insecticides in agricultural systems. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.