You probably already know that many artificial light fixtures tend to attract bugs. If you’ve never had to clean out a light fixture that has become packed with dead bugs, then you have probably been living under a rock. However, it seems the newer LED lights don’t attract bugs the way the old fluorescent ones did. But wait a second, bugs are attracted to light right, so why aren’t they flocking towards LED lights? It turns out it’s not necessarily just the light bugs are attracted to but rather UV light specifically.
Apparently most bugs rely a great deal on their UV receptors, and their sensitivity to colors in the UV spectrum plays a key role in activities such as foraging, finding a mate, and their ability to navigate properly. Since LED lights emit little to no UV rays, they don’t attract bugs the way other light sources do. Unfortunately, this doesn’t really help when it comes to mosquitos, as these insect pests tend to rely much more on sensing carbon dioxide and water vapor rather than UV light, meaning if you’re human, they’re going to find you with or without light to guide them.
Which types of light fixtures in your home seem to attract the most bugs?
