Why Do Led Strip Lights Attract Bugs?

There have been numerous occasions when I've seen bugs fly around my lights, but this is the first time I've noticed them around my led light strips. You may have never pondered why bugs are drawn to bright lights. It is a fact that you may not be able to see these insects buzzing around your light strips. There is some logic to this, including the fact that they are LEDs and have a color temperature and wavelength.

The good news is that LED lights don't attract as many bugs as traditional lights. You may not see any bugs at all if these strips are in your home. This is because these strips kill bugs. In one study, it all comes down to UV lights. LEDs don't make UV lights. They convert their electricity into electromagnetic (EM) radiation and don't waste it on UV and infrared. In the end, bugs don't like LED, which means your light strips won't be as bright.

Bugs And Color Temperature

Smart LED strips allow you to have complete control over the brightness of the strips. As a result, if you notice that a particular color temperature attracts bugs, it is best to avoid that color temperature. When light is measured in Kelvin, the temperature of the light is called the correlated color temperature (CCT). When it comes to color temperatures, there are three types to consider: "cool white" (4,000-5,000 K), "neutral white" (4,000-5,000 K), and "warm white" (6,000-8,000 K) (2,700-3,000 K). According to a recent 2015 study, all-white colors are equally attractive to bugs regardless of their hue.

But what about RBG, which is responsible for the consistent formation of the strip lights we are familiar with? Fortunately for us, the Punjab Agriculture Research Station in Pakistan conducted a study in which they investigated how insects respond to different wavelengths of light. Colors such as blue, green, yellow, red, black, and white are examples of primary colors. At the end of the experiment, they discovered that most insects were attracted to the black lights, with the red light being the least effective. According to the study's findings, insects are more attracted to "lights with short wavelengths and high frequencies" than other types of light.

Have you ever noticed that the color of LED bug lights is yellow? If so, you're not alone. This is because this color emits light with a long wavelength, between 550 and 600 nanometers. If you live in an area where there are a lot of bugs, you should set your strip light to emit a yellow color to attract their attention.

Led bug lights and warm color lights

A LED bug light is simply a light bulb that has been coated with a yellow coating to lower the color temperature of the light emitted. Bulb wavelengths will peak around 550-600 nanometers due to the coating on the surface of the light bulb. Nonetheless, yellow-coated bulbs aren't the only lights that can help to reduce the presence of bugs in space. If you want to create a less likely space to be infested by bugs, warm-colored LED lights such as yellow strip lights, yellow malibu light bulbs for landscape applications, or gold-tint filament bulbs are excellent choices.

To illustrate, from top left to bottom right: an A19 LED bug light bulb; yellow LED strip lights; a yellow LED malibu light bulb mounted in a landscape fixture, and gold-tint LED filament bulbs.

Why are bugs drawn to the led strip lights?

When you have LED lights outside, have you seen bugs flying around them? There is no one right answer. Then, there are a few theories about why these bugs are drawn to your lights. One thing has to do with the moon and how it connects to the bugs. It's called "positive phototactic" if an insect is drawn to lights. Many bugs are nocturnal, and some are migratory, so some people think they use them to find their way at night, too. As a way to stay on track during their journey, these insects look up at the moon.

Many bugs like to fly around in circles around our lights, which could be why. Why does it happen that when they reach the object, they think is the moon, their angle to the light source changes dramatically as soon as they get there? In addition, this explains why they might fly right into an insect killer or fire. They don't think the light source will be that close.

Or are they drawn to the warmth from the lights? But LEDs are very energy-efficient, so they don't make as much heat. It's also important to keep in mind that a lot of insects are good at spotting UV light. This is a trait that many flowers take advantage of by reflecting UV light to get birds' attention. They might be attracted to your light strips or bulbs because they think it is something they want, like a food source, and that's why they're interested.

What kinds of bugs attract towards the led strip lights?

Bugs and insects are drawn to LED strip lights in large numbers, which can be extremely bothersome. In this section of the article, I'll show you some of the bugs or insects that led strip lights may attract, as well as some tips on how to get rid of them if they do.

Spiders:

Spiders like led strip lights because it is a good place to find food at night, so they like them. When led strip lights are turned on, spiders go after other bugs and insects that are attracted to them.

So, if there are other bugs around your led strip lights, you should know that these bugs could be food for spiders, and they'll be sure to join in the fun.

Wasps and Hornets:

The presence of led strip lights attracts wasps and hornets as well because they provide them with a plentiful source of food. Bees and wasps have the unique ability to capture other bugs and insects, particularly those that are attracted to LED strip lights, and carry them away.

So, if you notice wasps or hornets hanging around near your led strip lights, you should be aware that they may be catching other bugs and insects. Wasps and hornets prey on other insects that are attracted to led strip lights in the same way that spiders do.

It shouldn't come as a surprise if you have other bugs hanging out around your led strip lights that wasps and hornets will be nesting in and around the lights.

Bees:

Even though it is rare for bees to be attracted to LED strip lights, it is possible because the lights may occasionally cause a positive phototactic response in the bees.

People talk about how bees tend to move in the direction of light sources as a "phototactic response."

As a result, if you notice bees congregating around your LED strip lights, it is possible to be due to the light.

Flies:

The use of led strip lights can also attract flies and other insects, such as moths. This is because these bugs are attracted to bright lights. When they get close to led strip lights, their navigation systems also become confused.

The reason for this is that they mistook the lights for sunlight and began flying upwards in the direction of the lights. In other words, they will eventually become visible in the spotlight.

Centipedes

Several other bugs could be present if you see centipedes around your led strip lights, so they may be there to protect them. Led lights attract centipedes and spiders alike because they provide them with a convenient food source.

Centipedes will be on the lookout for other bugs that are attracted to the led light in this situation. Because they consume a large number of insects and other bugs, this is the case.

Conclusion

We have concluded that because different types of bugs perceive different wavelengths, it is impossible to predict whether an LED light will attract them or avoid attracting them. On the other hand, most bugs are attracted to short wavelengths of light, and they are particularly attracted to ultraviolet light, which they can see better and which some of them use for navigation. More bugs will attract to the bulbs that emit more short wavelengths of light (cool white/bluish color). It is less visible to see lights that emit a majority of longer wavelengths (yellow, orange, and red colors). Heat can also attract bugs to a particular area. LED lights to emit little to no ultraviolet light and only a trace amount of heat, making them less attractive to insects—as long as they emit longer wavelengths of light, they are therefore more energy efficient.

References

5 bugs LED strip lights attract plus how to deal with them. (2022, January 24). ledlightplanet. https://ledlightplanet.com/what-kind-of-bugs-do-led-strip-lights-attract/

Anais. (2021, July 9). Do led strip lights attract bugs? Anais and Reese World. https://anaisandreeseworld.com/do-led-strip-lights-attract-bugs/

Do LED lights attract bugs? (2021, July 19). The Lighting Outlet. https://thelightingoutlet.com.au/blogs/news/do-led-lights-attract-bugs