Do Houston LED Lights Attract Bugs? What You Need To Know

Part 2

Heat

HID, CFL, halogen, and incandescent bulbs waste off lots of energy in the form of heat, with some wasting as much as 90% of the energy provided. This makes these bulbs visible to bugs with thermal receptors, one of the reasons you’ll notice dozens of bugs hovering around the bulbs when turned on. LED bulbs, on the other hand, produce very little heat. This fact alone makes them almost invisible to bugs with thermal receptors.

Warm-Colored & LED Bug Lights

LED bug lights are designed to emit a peak light wavelength of between 550 and 600 nanometers. They have a yellow coating meant to help reduce the color temperature produced, making them almost invisible to bugs. These LED bulbs are thus recommended for outdoor applications and especially around gardens, the lawn, and pathways. Warm-colored LED lights, on the other hand, are specially designed to be invisible to bulbs. Yellow malibu light bulbs, yellow strip lights, and gold-filament bulbs are good examples of warm-colored lights intended for not only landscaping applications but to repel bugs as well.

In a study conducted to determine the best bulbs for outdoors, incandescent bulbs showed to attract more bugs, followed by compact fluorescent bulbs, then halogens, and finally LEDs with a cool color temperature. Bug light is the least attractive of all hence considered the best for outdoor applications. Warm colored Led bulbs are also recommended for they produce very little heat and blue light, therefore offer exceptional directional lighting. This makes them the perfect pick for precise and focused outdoor lighting.

Non-Traditional Twist On LED Bug Lights

While warm LED bulbs are known to be almost invisible to bugs, some manufacturers have been able to produce LED options aimed at drawing bugs in, then eliminate them in the process. These bulbs produce a white illumination coupled with a UV light in a cage at the center. Bugs are thus attracted to the UV light, causing them to be electrocuted on getting in contact with the bulb’s high-voltage electric grid.

Final Thoughts

Different light wavelengths attract different types of insects. That said, there’s no guarantee switching to LED bulbs will make your outdoors free of bulbs. One thing is, however, for sure, fewer bugs will be drawn to LED bulbs. It is also worth noting that bugs use various light wavelengths (e.g., ultraviolet) to navigate. This explains why most of them come out at night, with very few moving at all in the stillest and darkest of nights. That said, investing in light bulbs producing a warmer light and less heat, such as LEDs that produce longer wavelengths (under 3300k), can help reduce the presence of bugs in your garden. That said, consider replacing all those heat and UV emitting incandescent, compact fluorescent, halogens, and HID lights with the more energy-efficient and bug-repelling LED bulbs.

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With more than 30 years’ worth of experience in Houston’s landscape lighting industry, we offer both commercial and home outdoor lighting solutions for all in Houston. We are a fully licensed and insured company in Houston willing to work hand-in-hand with you to produce the best results you ever wished for. Our team of highly trained and friendly experts will strive to provide you with a custom lighting design that is aesthetically pleasing and functional, and at an affordable rate. We will transform your ordinary outdoor space into a majestic one. Feel free to call us or contact us today! Click here for the first article of this series.

Do Houston LED Lights Attract Bugs? What You Need To Know

Part 1

Bugs are a common sight around outdoor light bulbs at night. One of the reasons for this is because bugs are attracted to light sources. What exactly draws bugs to lights is a mystery yet to be solved. Most people, however, use all manner of methods and solutions, ranging from bug zappers, citronella, and bug spray, to keep the bugs out but to no avail. Surprisingly, LED lights seem to attract fewer bugs than incandescent lights, hence the perfect remedy for keeping your outdoor area free of bugs. While it may not eliminate all bugs completely, switching to LED outdoor lighting might keep most of them away.

Many scientists have been trying to unravel the relationship between bugs and light sources, leading to one conclusion. Bugs are incredibly responsive to short wavelengths of visible and Ultraviolet light. They are thus attracted to light wavelengths of less than 550 nanometers. Light wavelengths within this spectrum include green, blue, and ultraviolet colors. These wavelengths are not only present in incandescent lights, but the moon and sun as well. This explains why bugs surface when the moon is up. In addition to this, some bugs, especially mosquitos, are attracted to heat sources as well. They are equipped with thermal receptors that help detect and follow heat sources. These revelations have helped scientists get an idea of why bugs flock to some light sources and not all.

Light Wavelengths & Color Temperature

As mentioned earlier, bugs are attracted to and can see UV, green, and blue light (shorter wavelengths) as compared to longer wavelengths (red, orange, and yellow). It is for this reason that bugs are attracted to light sources that emit such types of lights, including incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent, and high-intensity discharge lights. These light bulbs emit an intense UV light that attracts all manner of bugs. LED bulbs, on the other hand, produce very little to no UV light, making them invisible to bugs. Some types of LEDs might, however, have short-wavelength lights, hence could attract bugs as well. It would thus be advisable to shop for LED bulbs emitting wavelengths of 550 nanometers and more. An excellent example of these, are LED bulbs manufactured to produce yellow, ultra-warm white, and warm white light.

LED manufacturers do not list wavelengths that an LED bulb can produce (nanometers), but rather list it as CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) or Kelvin (K). LED bulbs listed with less than 3600K thus emit warm light not visible to bugs. LED bulbs with a CCT of over 3600k, however, produce relaxed or natural white lite, hence known to attract lots of insects and bugs.

If you would like to discover more tips and tricks from Robert Huff Illuminations; visit our blog. Call or contact us today if you need a professional lighting designer for your outdoor lighting design. Please click here for the rest of this article.