Solar lights are extremely green and economic solutions for both indoors and outdoors for having a relaxing evening.
But what if these lights attracted bugs too? Would you enjoy the evening then? The answer mainly depends on the quality or spectrum of light.
Solar lights can attract bugs, mainly if they emit a bright, warm light that is in the infrared region (heat). This is because bugs are attracted to heat for hunting for food. Additionally, some types of solar lights may produce UV light, which can also attract bugs.
What are the best light bulbs with less heat?
As you know, using the right light bulbs can keep your home free from insects. So, with the help of the given table, you can understand the different light bulb and their heating capacity.
Furthermore, we will understand the science behind the lights to attract bugs to solar light. Also, we will discuss the suitable remedies to avoid it and more.
Look at the table below and make the right choice.
| Bulbs | Heat (infrared) |
| Solar LEDs | No heat |
| CLF | Low heat |
| Halogen | Medium heat |
| Incandescent | High heat |
Why are bugs attracted to solar Lights? Know Science!
Insects can sense both infrared and ultraviolet at night. This ability helps them to navigate the environment better than other animals.
This evolutionary advantage helps them to hunt other insects or narrow down a host’s body heat for getting food, says research work.
Even mosquitoes are attracted to lights because of the heat other animals give off, not the light itself.
How the color/wavelength attracts the bugs to solar lights?
To understand the concept, let me clear that color is just a range of wavelengths from the electromagnetic spectrum.
On the science diagram, you will see wavelengths between 400 nm to 780 nm, and insects can see a different portion of light.
Basically, insects have a wider sense toward shorter wavelengths, so they feel more attracted to Ultraviolet rays. Similarly, they prefer the infrared region as well.
This attraction to light can attract them to sit on solar lights. Sometimes, this biological response often gets confused when there are other sources of light within their view.
What types of bugs are attracted to solar lights at night?
If you check the phototaxis theory, you can easily know the relationship between bugs with light. The negative phototaxis means the bug is repelled to the exposure of a light source.
Thus, the few pests that fall into this category are cockroaches and earthworms.
Besides, bugs that have come with positive responses are from flying insect families like a mosquito, butterflies, wasps, etc. These insects are either looking for a good source of light, food, or water.
However, when you attract insects such as flies or moths, you will attract predators of flies. It means your blue-porch lights can attract the animals like birds, bats, and frogs.
Here’s a list of them
- Moths: These bugs are attracted to bright lights and are frequently observed flying around outdoor lamps and porch lights.
- Beetles: Many beetles, including fireflies, lightning bugs, and Japanese beetles, are drawn to light.
- Cicadas: During the summer, these insects are attracted to outdoor lighting and can generate a lot of noise.
- Mosquitoes: They are drawn to light and frequently swarm around outdoor lamps and lights.
- Flies: All types of flies, including house flies, horse flies, and fruit flies, are drawn to light.
- Spiders & Grasshoppers: They are drawn to light and are frequently spotted near outdoor lamps and lights.
What are the types of light that do not attract bugs?
Besides, the more blueish your light will be, it attracts the number of insects. For example, if the color of light is light yellow, which is 2700k LED, it will be less attractive to insects, while if there is 6500k LED, it will give more blue rays, which is attractive to bugs/insects.
Keep note if you attract smaller bugs. Eventually, you call bugger bugs to have their free dinner.
For example, mosquitos are most attracted to heat light, and they will attract big insects like a cockroach.
Thus, your job is crucial, and you need to pick the right light to make things easy and keep the bugs away from the house.
On this note, Edison string lights are 2700 K which are warm lights and create a cool ambiance to sit in.
Also, it is enough to lower the temperature, which is unattractive to insects.
However, if you want to replace your lights with new ones, so read this post and choose the right bulbs for keeping your home bug-free.
How to prevent bugs attracted to solar lights?
If you do not want to change your budget, then using some preventive methods can help you save your house from bugs and insects.
Try solar-powered bug zappers.
This is the most amazing offer to eliminate the bugs at home. These are powered by the sun, and you do not need to stress about choosing batteries to change after weeks. Here are a few options to choose from.
Besides, they are very portable and easy to use. This will catch your insects and keep the bugs away from home.
Moreover, this will keep your home the attractive and best place to relax, as there will be no stress of insects that might attack you.
However, this kind of solution may have slight damage if you are living in a wildlife region.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of patio lights does not attract bugs?
Basically, you will need patio lights with reduced blue color and minimum heat generation.
What color of outdoor lighting is good to keep bugs away?
Yellow and red lights are the best to keep away the bugs from home. Bugs are usually attracted to blue lights.
Do LED lights attract spiders?
LED lights are not like other bulbs; they are less attractive to spiders if you have noticed the presence of insects in the LED strips, so you must clean that area or use repellents to keep bugs away from the lights and from your home too.
The Bottom Line
With the above discussion, we hope you have found the answer that bugs are attracted to lights depending on their needs, the color of light, and heat. However, be it LED, patio, or solar lights, bugs can be attracted to them.
Therefore to keep your lights clean and home with a cool ambiance, one must use repellents to keep bugs away from lights. Besides, performing regular cleaning can help to have a good living.
Eng. Matthew Joseph Nandirio is the Founder of walkingsolar.
After graduating from the University of Houston in 2002, matt started working as a Solar Electrical Engineer for several multi-national solar energy companies.
He has a wide range of experiences including solar system requirement analysis, planning, maintaining, debugging and even solar device development through research.
He now shares his 20 years of expertise through his articles on the walkingsolar website.
Further, he is also the author of two books on Solar Technology, “Solar Power for Villages” and “DIY Solar System for Dummies”.
