Hi hannalo,
Well, this answer may or may not surprise you, but the irony of it is
wonderful.
First a story ---
Where do you think the term “computer bug” came from?
Lore has it that it came from an amazing woman by the name of Grace
Hopper, a Navy Rear Admiral who is known as the Mother of Computer
Technology. In 1943 Hopper was working on the very first large-scale
computer, the Mark I. At one point this highly complex computer
malfunctioned and Hopper took a look inside. What do you suppose she
found? It was a dead moth that had found its way into the warm
workings of the machine. Hopper removed the insect, taped it to her
logbook and recorded the cause of that malfunction as ``a bug in the
computer.”
http://www.bangkokpost.net/240702_Database/24Jul2002_datacol59.html
http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/hopper.htm
Now the facts ---
Yes, in fact many insects are attracted to the warmth and/or the
darkness that a computer provides. Especially if the surrounding house
is cool. Most insects have built-in thermoreceptors that detect heat.
This website discusses several insects that prefer warm environments.
Insect Traps in Conservation Surveys
WAAC Newsletter
Volume 13, Number 1, Jan. 1991, pp.21-23
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn13/wn13-1/wn13-108.html
Spiders seek warmth
Gardening in Western Washington – Spiders
http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/inse005/inse005.htm
Cockroaches hide in warm dark places during the day
University of Delaware –Cooperative Extension
http://ag.udel.edu/extension/information/hyg/hyg-08.htm
“crickets, boxelder bugs, earwigs, spiders, millipedes and other
critters invade houses and other buildings to seek warmth and
shelter.”
University of Delaware
FOUNDATION SPRAYS FOR NUISANCE PESTS
http://ag.udel.edu/communications/garden_check/2001/10/sprays.htm
So, as you can see, many insects are attracted to warmth, and if your
house is cooler than your computer, some of those insects may find
their way there. So it's best to debug your computer on occasion!
Thanks for a great question. If anything I’ve said isn’t clear, please
feel free to ask for clarification.
-K~
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Insects “seek warmth”
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