What bugs does light attract?

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asked May 23, 2022 in Science by DRgreenthumb (760 points)
What bugs does light attract?

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answered May 23, 2022 by Satanic (13,130 points)
Bugs that light attracts are gnats, moths, flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, beetles, German cockroaches, brownbanded cockroaches, American cockroaches and Turkestan cockroaches.

Most bugs are attracted to light and will seek the light.

LED lights do attract bugs.

However since LED lights don't put out UV light or as much heat as regular light bulbs the LED bulbs don't attract bugs as much as the regular light bulbs do.

LEDs are not as warm as other light bulbs, so they're actually less likely to be attracting insects and spiders.

If you've noticed the presence of insects near your strip lights, take some time to clean the area and use repelling products like citrus and cedar-scented sprays.

The theory for why insects are attracted to light is that, in the wild, light signals an escape from potential danger for insects.

When an insect sees light, it can tell them that a path is not blocked by a predator or obstacles.

Yellowish, pinkish, or orange (sodium vapor, halogen, dichroic yellow) are the least attractive to most insects.

When white incandescent bulbs were all that was available, the advice was to change them to yellow incandescent bug bulbs.

LED bulbs are less attractive to bugs because they produce low heat and long wavelengths of light.

Moreover, they produce little or no ultraviolet radiation.

It makes them perfect for outdoor lights for events and around the home.

The best option is going to be a yellow compact fluorescent light (CFL).

Yellow is the point where the wavelengths start getting longer. CFLs offer the best energy efficiency and emit less heat.

Other yellow-tinted light bulb options that go unnoticed by insects include sodium vapor and halogen bulbs.

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