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Looking for Light Bulbs that Don’t Attract Bugs? 2 Top Recommendations

Lighting around New York City properties is essential for safety, and it is also a great way to highlight signage and landscaping. But if your lighting is attracting unwanted insects, it can be a major nuisance. Here’s our advice about how to effectively use light bulbs without bugs coming around the property.

The Problem with Bugs and Light Bulbs

Positive phototaxis

Many bugs exhibit a behavior known as positive phototaxis. This means they are attracted to light. Some entomologists believe this comes from using the moon as part of their navigational system.

Insects can be attracted by the light’s color (wavelength), heat emitted, and level of brightness. Insects that show some degree of phototaxis include:

• Moths
• Earwigs
• Stink bugs
• Flies
• Mosquitoes

Many flying insects, in particular, are drawn to light. Two bugs that avoid light that you may be familiar with are cockroaches and earthworms.

The visible light spectrum ranges from about 400 nanometers to just over 700 nanometers. However, unlike humans, insects only see a fraction of that range. They can see light waves toward the bottom of the scale, in the blue and purple range of color. That’s why many “bug zappers” use cool lights in this tone menu to attract insects.

Why Bug Zappers Aren’t a Solution

Multiple downsides

There are many reasons why these bug zappers aren’t a great solution to the bug problem:

• They don’t kill all bugs, and some remain in the area pestering humans and pets.
• They aren’t hot enough to attract mosquitoes.
• Near food and barbecue areas, Zappers can be unattractive and unappetizing. It’s also not practical to keep them by a building entrance because of the noise they make.
• They indiscriminately kill beneficial insects, like bees and many moth species, as well as other predator bugs that eat flies and mosquitoes.

It’s preferable to deter bugs rather than to attract them to your property with a bug zapper. That way, you’re less likely to have an abundance of bugs flying around your property in the first place. At Bolt Electric, we suggest using particular types of bulbs to keep insects away.

Light Bulbs Without Bulbs: Our Recommendations

There are two basic kinds of bulbs you can install that do not attract bugs. Let’s talk about these so you can see which type works best for your needs.

Warm LED lights

Modern light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs in a warm white tone are a perfect solution to your bug attraction problem. You want to be sure to avoid cool-toned bulbs, as anything too blue will attract many undesirable species.

Incandescent and CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs won’t work because they put out too much heat. As mentioned above, this heat can also attract insects. Also, older models of LED bulbs shouldn’t be used. These come with a coating on them that generates as much heat as incandescent and CFL bulbs. So, if you have a stock of these bulbs still sitting in storage, it’s best to use them where insects won’t be able to see them or reach them.

Yellow bug lights

Because warm colors in the light spectrum don’t attract bugs, yellow bug lights are also an option. These “bug lights” aren’t the same thing as bug zappers, to be clear. They are LED lights with a bright yellow coating to ensure insects aren’t attracted to them. These products are specifically marketed as anti-bug light bulbs, and their bright yellow outsides leave nothing to chance.

The top models can be used indoors and outdoors. They’re designed to last 25,000 hours, which in many cases is equal to up to 22 years or more of use, depending on how many hours per day they are on.

You can extend that lifespan by using photocells and automatic switches. These tools ensure your bulbs aren’t on unnecessarily. Rather, they are only when they need to be, as determined by motion in the area or by changes in natural sunlight.

A word of warning: these yellow bug lights aren’t ideal for use where stink bugs or earwigs are your main problem. For some reason, these species are drawn to the bright yellow light, so using a warm white LED bulb is a better solution.

Other Benefits of Switching Bulbs

Long-term savings

There are other benefits to using LED bulbs besides repelling insects. They are also highly energy efficient. The same lack of excess heat generated that makes them wonderful for deterring insects around your property means they use less electricity. This can yield significant energy savings, which is good for your bottom line and helpful for the environment.

You save even more because there is no fragile filament that heats up when the LED bulb is used. There is a filament involved in the light generation process, but it is much sturdier and longer-lasting than that of incandescent bulbs. Therefore, the filament isn’t subject to easy breakage, so the bulbs last much, much longer.

While you pay a bit more upfront for LED light bulbs, you don’t have to replace them as often. You’ll conserve money in both light bulb expenses and labor used to constantly replace expired old-fashioned incandescent bulbs.

If you’re thinking of using LED bulbs in your property’s garden, communal area, or entrance, it’s the perfect time to consider replacing other less efficient light bulbs throughout your entire property, inside and out. You’ll enjoy the same cost savings and reduced hassles when you use LED bulbs in your hallways, stairwells, lobbies, and other public spaces. If you own a sizable property, the money you save can be quite appreciable.

Want to learn more about saving money with LED lights or how to deter insects around your New York City property? Contact Bolt Electric, the city’s hyper-local, blue-chip electrical experts. We can come out and help you with these issues and other electrical upgrades too. Call us at 212-434-0098, or get in touch online to schedule an appointment.