Fed up with citronella candles? Tired of bugs swarming every time you try to enjoy an evening outdoors? We just received an e-mail from one of our favorite Boston shops, Vessel, touting the fact that their Candela lights don't attract bugs. Seemed too good to be true, but then we did a little research...
Apparently LED lights do not give off ultraviolet light—unlike CFLs and incandescent lights. Ultraviolet light is what attracts bugs, not the yellow glow which we would have assumed. This means that any LED light would save you from outdoor evening pests, not just the Candelas or the lovely Luau. A win-win situation: no bugs and low power consumption LEDs. The best part is that if you invest in LED lamps you can use them indoor and out.
We haven't tested the research yet—does anyone else have experience with outdoor LED lights not attracting bugs?
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Comments (11)
Interesting - I've noticed that I don't have as many swirling gnats this year since I've switched over to CFL's - now I know why!
bepsf- CFLs do give off UV light. LEDs don't. Sounds like you just have lazy bugs.
I've got CFL's in most fixtures in my house, and not only do they still attract those darn little gnats, but now they end up getting stuck inside the swirls of the bulb once they croak.
Even the bugs don't want to go near eerie, cold blue LED lights.
I thought CFLs are eerie, cold and blue? The candelas I have are much warmer than my CFL bulbs.
god that picture gives me the willies
I'm no expert in this, but I know that moths and mosquitoes, at least, are attracted to infrared radiation (heat). This would explain why incandescent sources attract bugs more than CFL/LED sources.
Also, the spectra of CFLs vary quite a bit with various combinations of peaks combining to try and get a pleasant light -- if UV is the culprit, your mileage will vary with different CFL choices in terms of bug attraction relative to incandescent bulbs.
I GOT A SHIVER DOWN MY SPINE WHEN I SAW THAT PICTURE.... AHHH
Moths and such can be annoying, but what about mosquitos? Mosquitos sense body heat, not light.
@ M: mosquitos are attracted to the carbon dioxide that mammals emit, not body heat.
@bepsf - if you are in CA (SF?) the extremely dry spring is probably why you haven't seen as many bugs this year.
if these lights really work, I need them. There are so many bugs out in the country!