Bugs are a nuisance around the home, especially if they gather in groups. But do LED strip lights attract bugs? Remember, LED strip lights are used for backlighting, task lighting, or decorative purposes.
Yes, Led Strip Lights attract bugs. If you’re using led strip lights with a shorter wavelength, you’ll see several bugs flying around. This is because LED lights produce heat that attracts bugs.
In this article, you’ll learn more about why LED strip lights attract bugs and what to do to stop this. Read on!
What Attracts Bugs to Light Source?
Bugs use the LED lights to know where they’re going or doing. So, if you’ve got these lights indoors and forget to close the windows or doors, the bugs will escape inside.
There are a few things in Led strips that attracts bugs:
Color and Wavelength of LED Strip Lights
What attracts bugs to lights is majorly the color temperature and wavelength. The shorter wavelengths like blue, green, or ultraviolet are more visible light to bugs than those of yellow. Remember, most bugs cannot see a light range of 650 nanometers. But they use ultraviolet and infrared lights to spot and identify food.
Heat
Bugs love light sources because of the heat, especially on a chilly night. However, heat is mainly produced by halogen or CFL bulbs as they use more energy to light. So, if you switch on lights on a chilly night, expect bugs to crowd it to keep warm.
Is Every LED Light Attractive to Bugs?
Bugs get attracted to ultraviolet light or any light that resembles the moon regardless of the type of bulbs you’re using. So, if you’ve got LED strip lights that tend to be cooler than the other bulbs, bugs won’t be much attracted to them.
The Fix
However, if your LED lights are brighter and produce blue or cool white light, they’ll attract bugs. Bugs will also flock to a LED strip light outdoors without a casing or cover. The casing, in this case, will prevent the lights from shining bright. You can use a plastic or glass case with a tint to help control the amount of light coming from the bulbs.
One thing that will repel bugs from LED lights is that they don’t produce ultraviolet lights. Most insects love black UV lights. Also, if you’ve LED lights with a longer wavelength, the bugs won’t camp near it.
Note That:
No type of light can completely do away with bugs. Every light has a type of bug that’s attracted to it. So, you need to go for a longer wavelength to reduce the number of bugs that will flock to the LED bulbs.
Types Of Bugs LED Strips Attract
Spiders
You’ll find spiders near LED strip lights because they eat other bugs and insects that follow the lights at night. You can eliminate these insects using chemicals. Spray chemicals like DEET where these insects are or around the LED strips.
Moths Or Flies
Moths or flies can also be around your LED strip lights because of bright lights. These insects can also find themselves here if they lose the direction or confuse the lights with moonlight. Use fly traps to eliminate the flies.
But the most effective and easy way to do away with bugs around your LED strip lights is a thorough cleaning. Remove the LED strip lights, then clean the area before re-installing them.
Bottom Line
LED strip lights attract different types of bugs depending on the wavelength and color temperature of the lights. However, most bugs will be attracted to shorter wavelengths with ultraviolet light that enables them to see well. So, it’s advisable to use long-wavelength LED strip lights to reduce the number of bugs around them.
