Do LED Lights Attract Bugs?

Normal light sources certainly attract bugs and when outside at night you will notice them all over the light. No wonder people ask themselves if LED lights also attract bugs? Outside on a summers night you will always get a few bugs milling around, however the use of an LED light will dramatically reduce the bug presence and help to make your outdoor area bug free. Read on to find out why.

LED Lights Don’t Attract Bugs

LED lights will brighten your living space, and they certainly do not attract bugs because they do not get hot. Normal lights warm up and this attracts the bugs and keeps them warm, so they stay around until you remove them. Especially when you are outside sitting on your patio you will notice a huge difference between the old incandescent light sources and modern LED lights.

Of course outside at a summer night there are always a few bugs milling around but the use of LED lights will dramatically reduce their presence. There have been a few studies conducted and the evidence says longer wavelengths of UV light, and shorter wavelengths of light upsets their navigation and puts them of coming into the light radius. In order to keep the bugs away outside you need to install an LED bug light.

Mosquitos and LEDs

Mosquitos have thermal receptors which make them attracted to heat, so they will certainly be attracted to an incandescent light source. While they are there they will probably bite you, so it is definitely better to install a warm white or yellow LED light outside in order to repel the mosquitos and bugs.

LED Bug Lights

These are light bulbs with a yellow coating that actually reduces the color temperature of the emitted light. They emit light wavelengths of 550-600 nanometers and this reduces the presence of bugs. Besides that you can also use gold filament bulbs in outdoor landscaping areas.

The situation can be tricky as different types of bugs see different wavelengths, and interestingly they are attracted to UV light as they can see it better and some use it for navigation. LED lights produce little or no UV light and this makes them less attractive to bugs.

When Should You Use LED Lights?

The kitchen is a high traffic area of your house and there are several different work spaces. You also don’t want bugs in your kitchen when preparing your food. To start with install a strip of LED lights over the work bench and another one over the sink. These are both areas where food is prepared and dishes are cleaned, so good light is important. If you have lamps around the family room, install LED in order to soften the lighting.

Use a bulb with a bright white color for best effect. Remember they don’t get hot so it is quite safe if small children touch the lamp as it won’t burn their fingers, very ‘child friendly’. They are also energy efficient and long lasting. They use much less electricity to run than other lights. Use one that produces more than 550 nanometers to keep bugs away.

What Is An LED Light?

LED stands for light emitting diode, and produces light which is 90% more efficient than ordinary light. An electric current passes through a microchip to illuminate the light. The lights are long lasting and don’t burn out like normal lights. Inbuilt heat sinks absorb and dissipate the heat from the light which keeps it from overheating. There are LEDs available in green, red, amber and blue and every other mixed color.

Bug-free TV?

LED lighting is behind your TV screen and reduces the strain on your eyes, and also produces a better color effect. There will be no bugs around the TV as they are not attracted to it, so you will be perfectly safe from mosquitos and other bugs while watching TV.

Bug-free Camping?

The last place that you want to see bugs is in your car, and all the new cars have LED lights, fortunately this makes the car less attractive to bugs as the amount of heat emitted is miniscule. The LED light does not emit UV or infrared radiation and does not contain any mercury, so therefore it does not pose a health hazard.

People who like camping are getting constantly annoyed by lot’s of bugs especially when camping in nature areas. Luckily there are also LED camping lights available which will reduce the appearance of bugs to a minimum. Getting one for your next camping trip would be a good idea to keep bugs away.

Bugs In The Bedroom?

Most people hate bugs in their bedrooms, especially moths who flap around the light on a summers night. They will need an LED lamp on their bedside table as it won’t attract the moths and they can safely touch it without getting burnt.

For your children you can buy a nightlight, as it makes them feel more secure to have the light on all night. The light is not bright and the parent can come into the room and check, without turning another light on.

LED Lights Outside at Night

If you are having an evening social gathering outside during summer you will need to install some LED strip lights with remote control. You have a choice of 5 light modes, fade, flash, smooth, color changing and strobe, there are 255 colors and we love this idea as the scientific evidence would indicate it will definitely confuse the bugs and keep them away.

Conclusion

Now you can be confident that LED lights don’t attract bugs as one would probably image. From the literature it is evident that they certainly are much less likely to attract bugs than ordinary lights would. How good it will be to enjoy your garden without being stung by mosquitos and invaded by other bugs and moths.