There are over 200,000 species of insects in Australia alone. Some of these have never even been named because so many new types are found every year!
Do LED lights attract bugs? Are LED lights worse for bugs than incandescent bulbs? How can I keep these bugs away from my house and still have lights outside?
The answers to these questions can be found below! Knowing more about the science behind it all will help you choose the right LED lights for your home.
Keep reading to find out what you should know about why bugs like light and what you can do to limit the bugs around your lights.
Is there a globe which repels insects?
Yes the link below you will see a anti-Insect LED Globe designed to emit light that repels Insects. This works great with repelling mosquito's.
anti-bug-led-globe
Why Are Bugs Attracted to Light in the First Place?
Bugs use different light sources, such as the moon, to navigate around in the nighttime. They use outdoor lights for many of the same reasons that humans do - to see where they are going and what they are doing.
Many, if not all, bugs would actually prefer to just use the moonlight to travel and navigate their path. However, with so many lights in the streets, on people's homes, and in other areas that bugs may see, they get confused about their travel pattern. They end up going toward these lights because they think the artificial light is the moon.
Bugs also really like the heat that light bulbs emit, especially in colder weather.
However, bugs are only attracted to lights that they can easily see. Otherwise, the light isn't going to look much like the moon at all. No matter what type of light bulb you have, if it's a dimmer light, the bug isn't even going to notice it.
Bulbs that emit shorter wavelengths will attract more bugs because they imitate moonlight more closely. These are generally going to be the bulbs that are a very cool white or even blue-tinted colour. Bulbs that are more yellow, orange, or red-tinted emit longer wavelengths that are much harder for a bug to see.
Do LED Lights Attract Bugs?
Technically, LED lights do attract bugs. However, based on what we've just discussed, any light that may look like the moon to a bug will attract it regardless of the type of bulb being used.
Because LED lights are cooler than other types of lightbulbs (meaning they don't get as warm), bugs aren't as attracted to them in general. However, many LEDs are quite bright and do emit that cool white, blue colour that bugs love, so they care about this aspect much more.
Bugs will only pay attention to this if you just leave the light bulb exposed to the outdoors. If you have a cover or casing over the light bulb, the bug likely won't be as attracted to it.
The light won't be quite as bright in a case and may look a little less like the actual moonlight. You can choose a case with glass or plastic that has a tint to it also so that you can control the look of the light without choosing a different bulb altogether.
In addition to that, LED lights don't emit ultraviolet light, which is something else that appeals to bugs. Many insects are attracted to black UV lights.
If you choose an LED light that has a longer wavelength, which we discussed above, you won't run into these issues either. LEDs come in a range of options, so you can easily find some that will work for this specific purpose.
It's important to note that there are no specific light spectrums that will completely repel bugs. Every spectrum has some type of bug that loves it; however, if you want the fewest number of bugs possible, the longer wavelengths are what you need to look for in your LED bulbs.
LED vs Incandescent Light Bulbs: Which Is Worse for Bugs?
Bugs don't actually care about the type of bulbs you use. They care about what the light looks and feels like.
If you're looking for lights that attract bugs the least, you need to pay attention to the colour spectrum of light the bulb emits and the heat it emits. These factors are much more important than what type of bulb it is.
Different types of bugs are attracted to different colour spectrums as well, so it's not as simple as just choosing a bulb with a blue spectrum versus a bulb with a yellow spectrum. You need to consider what type of bugs are in your area and what type of colour spectrum attracts them most.
However, if you don't want to spend the time doing that type of research, simply go by what we've said before: bulbs with longer wavelengths attract fewer bugs overall.
Because incandescent light bulbs also produce that heat that bugs like, bugs are naturally just a little bit more attracted to those options rather than LED bulbs.
Invest in LED Lights Today
Do LED lights attract bugs? The answer is a little complicated, but if you choose the right type of LED bulbs to put outside, you won't be dealing with as many bugs as you would with other lighting options.
For this reason, you should consider getting your own LED lights today. We have a great selection of bulbs that will help you figure out what works best for your home and needs.
You can filter for different colours, colour temperatures, and other aspects that may help you find the perfect bulb. What are you waiting for? Check out our selection of LED lighting options today.
