If you have come here with any of these questions, we will give you satisfactory explanations in this article. We will discuss do led lights attract bugs? You will also come to know how LED lights can help you in this regard. We will also guide you about choosing the best LEDs and bug repellents. Interested?
While enjoying cool summer evenings outside, you must have seen many bugs hovering over light bulbs. You might be inquisitive about the phenomenon of why such a large number of bugs gather around these LED lights. Sometimes, people also want to get rid of these annoying flying insects to walk or sit peacefully in their yards.
There is no straightforward answer to this question. Some manufacturers will claim that LEDs do not attract bugs, while others will not support the statement. The truth is both of these perspectives are true in their own way. Let’s discuss the facts to end this debate.
LED lighting is indeed the most energy-efficient and cost-effective lighting in this era. These lights are also famous for keeping away the flying bugs for the past few years. Note that bugs are also attracted to LEDs like any other light source.
But these lights are less attractive for them as compared to other kinds of light sources. The main reason is lesser heat production in LEDs. There is no significant change in temperature, hence no considerable attraction for insects.
Moreover, the attraction depends on various factors, such as the color and temperature of LED lights. If you are using warm-color LED lights like LEDs with yellow colour coatings, then you are less likely to see the swarms of bugs flying around. However, high-temperature LEDs with cool colors will attract more bugs. So, LEDs are wallet-friendly as well as environment friendly.
Do Some Specific Bulbs Attract Bugs?
After seeing so many bugs flying around bulbs and ending up in shades, you might believe that specific bulbs attract these bugs. But the thing is, bugs have nothing to do with the type or shape of the light source.
It doesn’t matter if you are using incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, or LED lights. The shape like bulbs, tube lights, strip lights, or discs matter. These all are going to attract bulbs.
The main reason for the attraction of bugs is light. This is the light that makes the bugs swarm around. The specific characteristics of the light will decide the frequency of insects to be attracted.
Yellow, blue, green, red, and other lights are always going to affect regardless of the bulb manufacturing company. So, this is not a specific bulb but a light-gathering of all ticks and mites.
Why are Bugs Attracted to Light?
Before investigating the source that attracts fewer bugs, let’s find the natural reason for the attraction of bugs to light. These small insects travel as the season changes. While traveling, they use the moonlight as a guide and follow specific paths. Their uniqueness helps them keep track of moonlight. But the presence of uncountable LEDs hinders their way.
These LED lights are a source of convenience for us, but it doesn’t go the same way for insects. The bugs confuse these lights with moonlight and get attracted to their sources. Different colors of these artificial lights distract their paths.
Another reason is the attraction of insects for flowers. Some flowers emit ultraviolet radiation. When the bugs perceive some UV radiations emitted by bulbs, they confuse them with flowers and start hovering over their lights.
Heat is also another reason why bugs buzz around the light. The heat emitted by bulbs and light is also a source of comfort for these small insects in cold weather.
The Color Spectrum of Light that Attracts Bugs
Just like human beings, bugs can see only a very specific range of electromagnetic radiation. They can see and get attracted only to a specific color spectrum.
This color spectrum mainly includes visible light range and some ultraviolet wavelengths. In their course of traveling, they love to gather around an artificial source of light emitting these radiations.
Light wavelength and temperature are the major two factors determining their attraction. Let’s discuss them one by one:
Light Wavelength:
Different wavelengths give different colors of light. The visible spectrum of light ranges from 430-750nm. The lights with longer wavelengths like red, orange, and yellow are less visible to bugs. Unlike these warm colors, the blue end of the spectrum that represents shorter wavelengths is more visible to insects.
Thus the insects will be more attracted to cooler colors like blue, green, or cool white. These bugs also got attracted to ultraviolet radiations (350nm) that lie next to cooler colors in the spectrum.
Thus, insects prefer a light range between 300-420nm. It is clear that you should use preferably longer wavelengths to keep these annoying bugs away.
Light Color Temperature:
Correlated color temperature (CCT) can also help in choosing insect-resistant LEDs. The warm and cold sides, in this case, are similar to that of color effects discussed in wavelengths. Let’s make the idea clear.
On a Kelvin scale, different temperatures measure different colors. CCT is measured in kelvins (K). An LED bulb with CCTs of 3600K and above will attract more bugs by giving off cool white light.
At the same time, a bulb with CCTs below 3600K is less likely to attract bugs by emitting warm or ultra warm white light. Thus, the higher the temperature, the lesser the bugs.
Working of LED Bug Lights and Bug Zappers
Bug lights are essential to ensure you peaceful evenings in your porch or yard without being hovered by bugs like moths. These lights are not bug-repellents.
In fact, they work by emitting those wavelengths that are invisible to bugs. LED bulbs nowadays are serving as bug lights. They are much better than incandescent bug lights but still not better than using actual bug lights.
Neither LED nor any other bug light can be 100% effective due to differences in insects’ color and temperature preferences. However, most insects can’t see a wavelength of around 650nm and above. If you want even better results, then you can go for some bug zappers to get rid of these hovering insects completely.
Bug zappers are insect killers that use ultraviolet light to captivate them. When the insect comes into the kill zone, they send an electric jolt, and the insect ends up at the moment. Modern LED bug zippers come with dual benefits. The device consists of a zapper as well as an LED bulb. The zapper makes sure that no bug flies around the bulb.
Choosing the Right LED Lights
We have seen that LED bulbs are less attractive to insects due to less heat production and emission of longer wavelengths. Meanwhile, these bulbs are also budget-friendly.
But you can make more out of these LEDs if you look for better light output and colors before purchasing them. Give a read to these factors:
Light Output:
The amount of light produced by a LED bulb measures in lumens. Do check the light output before buying any LED bulb. If you only pay attention to colors, it may prove costly in the long run. For instance, a 20 watt LED bulb will give 1600 lumens of light.
Light Color:
As discussed earlier, we measure the color of a LED light in kelvins (K). A candle-like light illuminates at about 2500K, a halogen bulb at 3500K, and an LED bulb at 5000 kelvin. The temperature range of 6000 K gives irregular purple lights that look more artificial.
The LED lights give a more natural appearance to the human eye. Also, to get rid of bugs and keep your residential lighting natural, we advise you to use high-temperature LEDs outside, and low-temperature LED lights inside your home.
Final Words
It was all about the question, “Do LED lights attract bugs?” Now, you know that LED lights are the best choice so far. They are economical and save from annoying bugs at the same time. LEDs also attract bugs due to the emission of heat and some UV radiation. But you can get the best results by wisely choosing the colors of LED lights.
Avoid using LED bulbs that emit shorter wavelengths as insects are more attracted to them. Bluish or cool white bulbs will attract more bugs. You may prefer using warm color lights like yellow, orange, or red. Don’t forget to consider the CCT temperature if you can’t see wavelength there. Choose the right LEDs that will save you money as well as a peaceful environment.
We hope this article solved all your queries. If you have any further questions, do let us know in the comment section below. Also, tell us your experience with LED lights regarding the bugs’ attraction or repulsion phenomenon.
