# Which white led color doesn't attract insects/bugs?



## kingofwylietx (Apr 13, 2010)

I have some high-power outdoor led motion activated security lights that don't attract insects. This great because I also have them mounted on my back porch. However, most of my led flashlights DO attract insects. 

Has anyone checked to see which white led colors (these security lights are neutral to cool white) don't attract bugs? I have an led light that you strap on your head and it makes the bugs dive-bomb my face (that su*ked).

I tried searching, but nothing looked related.

So, has anyone noticed this? My assumption is that it must be free of UV and on the neutral to cool color side. 

Thoughts?


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## Ksailork (Apr 14, 2010)

> So, has anyone noticed this?


I've noticed bugs attracted to my handheld lights and headlamps but have not seen the phenomenon where they aren't attracted to other white LED lights. I've installed some cheap, thus low power, LED light bulbs in my back porch light and will have to see how much the insects are attracted or not.



> My assumption is that it must be free of UV and on the neutral to cool color side.


My friendly entomologist tells me that insects, as a rule, do indeed favor the UV side of the spectrum. That also includes the blue and purple wavelengths of the visible light spectrum. I am somewhat confused by your statement, however, as I consider the term "cool color side" to include blue tints. That said, your neutral and warm colored "whites" would be best to avoid an insect infestation in your face.

I might add that sometimes color makes no difference. I used to frog hunt in the bayou country of south Louisiana. Done at night with a headlamp. It was common for vegetation to overhang the water ways. Since you are looking down for frogs, occasionally you accidentally brush a wasp or hornet nest. In what seems like a millisecond, they will attack your light (and your head) with a vengeance, even with a red lamp which is an insect's least attractive color. "Clever girl." First thing is to extinguish the light and hit the throttle on the boat motor. Did I mention "as fast as you can?" Next thing to do is to pray nothing is in your way to stop or flip the boat. Now that su*ked !


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## kingofwylietx (Apr 14, 2010)

I can try to get a beamshot of the lights, but it may be more neutral. It isn't a warm color, pure white. There is not a blue look to the light 


This is the light, but it doesn't give specs for color. http://www.lowes.com/pd_161409-5275...2191&pl=1&currentURL=/pl_Utilitech_4294857031


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## Tora (Apr 14, 2010)

Quote: Has anyone checked to see which white led colors (these security lights are neutral to cool white) don't attract bugs?


Answer: The led light where the holder of it is freshly showered. :nana:


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## Ksailork (Apr 14, 2010)

> It isn't a warm color, pure white.(?)


The terms "cool" and "warm" can get subjective, and while I am not a long time member of this forum, I imagine the terms may even develop different visualizations within the LED group as opposed to Incandescent group. However, the term neutral or pure white shouldn't conjure up thoughts of either warm or cold. The truth will lie in the actual wavelengths as far as the annoying insects are concerned.


> Answer: The led light where the holder of it is freshly showered.


In its own right, this is very humorous and I enjoyed it. However, there is something to seriously consider in the statement. Insects are attracted to things other than light. Could be your laundry soap, your bath soap (or lack of), your body heat. Perhaps the combination is too much for them to pass up.

To me, it seems if there is a chance for bugs to annoy you, it'll happen. A Murphy's Law of sorts.


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## ti-force (Apr 14, 2010)

Ksailork said:


> Insects are attracted to things other than light. Could be your laundry soap, your bath soap (or lack of), your body heat. Perhaps the combination is too much for them to pass up.
> 
> To me, it seems if there is a chance for bugs to annoy you, it'll happen. A Murphy's Law of sorts.



You're correct. And a Mosquito is primarily attracted to carbon dioxide (Co2), which we all know is our breath. It's also emitted from the pores of our skin. Certain fragrances and colors are attractive to them too.


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## kingofwylietx (Apr 14, 2010)

I realize there are many factors that attract insects. However, these lights attract very few insects. I know it has to do with the wavelength of the light. I just don't know what wavelengths may be optimal for having a light that doesn't attract as many bugs.

We go camping a lot, hunt a bit, and ride atv's. It would be of benefit to me to figure this out to reduce the numbers of bugs that are being drawn in by the light. 

I think it's interesting.


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## HarveyRich (Apr 14, 2010)

> *Originally posted by kingofwylietx:*
> However, these lights attract very few insects*. *


Not my experience. When camping a couple of years ago I used various led flashlights, tying each to a picnic table, to read at night. After about 10-15 minutes there were thousands of insects flying around them, which made reading a rather unpleasant experience. I turned the lights off periodically to disperse the insects and then would turn them on for a little while.


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## Ksailork (Apr 14, 2010)

My apologies if I digressed. Your OP did mention white LED's and with that in mind and, according to science, you need to avoid the blue side of white and move towards the red side of white. The red side will be the warmer colors [neutral, pure]. To know if you are there your choices are: spectrometer, LED manufacturers' data, general description of the (white) LED's "color", and/or CPF members. Perhaps, the manufacturer of the motion sensor lights can give you a place to start.

There has been other posts here about color in general and insects that may be helpful but working with white only, I didn't find much.

Snow is still on the ground here in some places so I am unable to perform any trials. I think your question is a very good one and as the summer passes, I might see if I can see differences among the different tints of lights that I have access to. For you see, I, too, am annoyed by bugs, especially when wearing a headlamp. Other than that, perhaps there is an entomologist AND a flashaholic out there who can pipe in.


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## notsofast (Apr 14, 2010)

I recall in the "old days" some house holds used yellow porch lights and they called them bug lights. Don't know if the intention was to repel bugs or attracted them. I always felt it was to keep them away.


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## Cataract (Apr 14, 2010)

I can say by experience that only one of my lights seems to attract bugs like nothing else: 

my Zebra H50. It has a very distinctive blue hue and because I seemed to transform in "BugZapper Face Man" every time I wore it, I stopped using it outside. It actually attracts bugs so bad that in some cases I could see less than with no light at all (for real!)

Every other LED light I own doesn't seem to attract bugs very much, but it'll happen once in a while for a few seconds that some bug will hang around and fly away after a few seconds. I most often use a red of green filter and these seem to be completely invisible to them. 

Even Neutral white LED's have a lot of blue in them, but they probably don't emit as much UV (I might test that with a UV-A sensor when I have a chance, but I don't have two lights of the same output in cool and neutral, so it might turn out pointless)

By personal experience, when I go camping I shower usin a citronella soap and gel shampoo, which work miracles until you start sweating, so a bug repellent spray with high DEET content is still necessary. I know for a fact that using these products together (if I use enough spray) keep bugs at bay without any light, except if I use my zebra H50 :scowl:, then it's like wearing a bugzapper for a hat, but at least they won't bite.

(a little side-tracking here The only repellent thing that is said by actual scientists to really work is deet. I've seen people pay 15$+ for a small bottle of environment-friendly stuff that is said to be even better than deet and _they_ where the ones with all the bugs around them (I think it is supposed to work if you smear one person only and stand away from them... then YOU won't get any bites)


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## MichaelW (Apr 15, 2010)

You could try the Rebel PC amber.


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