Bugs and Their Attraction to Solar Lights -What You Need to Know

Staying outdoors in the cool evenings whether out on your porch, garden, or out camping can be both relaxing and refreshing too until you have a bug problem.

This may be anywhere from mosquitoes, moths, and fruit flies to gnats.

This then begs the question, what type of outdoor solar lights should you buy so that you don’t draw these flying insects to yourself?

Read on to find out.

What Type of Outdoor Solar Lights Don’t Attract Bugs?

Low-power amber or yellow color outdoor solar lights attract way fewer flying insects.

They may not be perfect and you may see some insects swirling around them especially if they are bright. Broadly speaking though, this color of light attracts fewer insects.

So, get the instead If you don’t want to draw flying insects to yourself.

Some solar lights attract bugs

Yes, brightly colored especially fluorescent, ultraviolet, or blue color solar lights will attract flying insects to them.

And so, you’ll find them used in bug zappers to electrocute any flying insects that come in contact with the inbuilt high-voltage net inside.

Yellow or amber colored solar lights do not attract as many inspects and this is collaborated by this study.

Want to enjoy the outdoors without drawing the moths and other flying insects to you?

Make sure to use a light with a yellow, or amber color.

Some String Lights Attract Bugs

If they give off white, bluish, or UV light then yes they’ll attract bugs to them too. Go for yellow or amber-colored lights instead as they do not attract bugs as much!

Related questions

How to Keep the Bugs Away?

If you have a bug problem, consider buying a good quality outdoor solar bug zapper.

You can hang it up on the porch or somewhere in the backyard to attract and zap flying insects allowing you to enjoy the outdoors without the nuisance from the insects.

Stop chasing the flying insects down

The zappers work during the night when the bright blue, UV, or white lights stand out and is the main draw for the flying insects zapping them when they come in contact with a mesh in the light interior.

The only downside is that you may hear an occasional zapping as the flying insects come into contact with the mesh at a high voltage.

Do Solar Lights Attract Mosquitoes?

Yes, solar lights can attract mosquitoes too. Go for yellow or amber-colored lights instead as they do not attract bugs as much compared to those that give off white, bluish, or UV light!

Closing Thoughts

Yellow or amber solar lights generally attract fewer bugs or no bugs at all depending on what type of bugs there are in your area.

White light, blue, or UV lights on the other hand attract more bugs.

If your objective is to reduce the number of bugs attracted, use a yellow or amber low wattage/ dim solar light.

References:

Jessica L. Deichmann et al; 16th March 2021; Reducing the blue spectrum of artificial light at night minimizes insect attraction in a tropical lowland forest

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