insects not attracted to light.
Submitted: Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 10:17
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pepper2
As you would know uncovered flouros and led lights can attract hordes of insects.
I am aware that wrapping yellow film around the light may reduce the attraction..but .. recently I put my powerfull led light inside the canopy of my dual cab ute. Meaning that the light passed through the windows of cab that have tinting film on the glass..
Result absolutely no insects attracted to the light that was transmitted through the tint film on the glass.
Anyone else noticed this???
Reply By: Flighty ( WA ) - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 10:33
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 10:33
To be honest no, but a very interesting observation will try it and see what the result is.
Thank you for the info
Cheers
Flighty
AnswerID:
543045
Reply By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 11:06
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 11:06
Insects are attracted to UV light.
Both window glass and tint film significantly reduce UV transmission, so logically, insects will be less attracted to the light coming through them. Similarly, yellow filters would absorb the higher wavelengths including UV.
Most sources of LED lighting is enclosed with clear plastic rather than glass, so the UV is not blocked at the source. My new
home has quality LED downlights which have frosted glass lenses shielding the LED source. As a result, they are much easier on the eyes than the bare LED lights.
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543046
Reply By: Zippo - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 11:07
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 11:07
Probably not all that surprising. It is the U/V and near-U/V part of the spectrum that attracts them. Normal window tinting is designed to cut U/V dramatically to avoid the phonebox/greenhouse heating effect.
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543047
Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 12:15
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 12:15
You may still see yellow globes labelled as "buzz-a-way" or similar. There are many who think that these yellow globes chase insects away. They don't, they just don't attract as many insects as those rich with UV radiation.
For best effect when you are using these low UV globes install a globe that is rich with UV a short distance away. This attracts the bulk of the insects away from where you are sitting.
Something like this would be good.
AnswerID:
543049
Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 20:18
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 20:18
A good ol Flouro 15m or so away is as good an insect magnet as you can get. I carry one for this purpose.
FollowupID:
829893
Reply By: Member - Mfewster(SA) - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 12:33
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 12:33
I have no technical knowledge on this at all, however.. I was under the impression that led lights, no matter what colour, don't attract insects as they are at a quite different wavelength. My leds don't. I also have an led strip with a choice of yellow, white or mixed light (got it from the ExploreOz
shop). It doesn't seem to attract insects no matter which combination I use. Gas and flourescent lights used by others at the same campsites seem to attract them in droves.
AnswerID:
543050
Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 17:35
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 17:35
Last trip we did out back with lots of bugs and insects I noticed that the
bright white LEDs attracted the bugs whereas the warm white ones of the same brand did not.
I am going to change
mine over to all warm white, it is easier on your eyes as
well.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: member - mazcan - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 20:57
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 20:57
hi
at
easter time I also found by chance that the insects weren't attracted to the warm white led strip lights I had changed over to
I chose those while testing them at a 4wd show and found they were much easier on the eyes
but didn't know the +'s until I went away and used them even with the camper tent flap unzipped
I had no problems as compared with the previous yellow globe
that I had been using with insects congregating on the tent area outside and also came in as
well if given an open flap I was able to cut back on the use of spray which is another +
cheers
FollowupID:
829894
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 20:38
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2014 at 20:38
White incandescent lights are the worst. White Fluoro's will still attract a fair amount of insects, but place a yellow filter around the lamps and the insects will not be attracted anywhere near as much.
White LED lamps (at least the ones I use) are nowhere near as bad for attracting the little buggers either, but any light will still attract some. I don't notice a lot of difference between the light with the filter installed and the white LED light as far as the number of insects present. Perhaps a few more around the LED but I haven't tried to count them:-)
We don't get the big moths usually attracted to lights. Those insects that are around the
camp are usually the tiny little buggers. you know, the ones that end up in your drink.
I use a Versalite Fluoro with a yellow filter installed and a Versalite white LED light. Both are as good as you can expect while still producing sufficient illumination to see and do things by. These 12v lights are easy on the battery supply and I believe are worth the initial investment cost.
The filtered light is used for cooking action and the white LED excellent for the girls to play their board games of Sequence under.
Happy girls equals contented blokes!
AnswerID:
543064
Reply By: Grumblebum and the Dragon - Wednesday, Dec 17, 2014 at 09:21
Wednesday, Dec 17, 2014 at 09:21
We put a reasonable spot light up in a tree away from seating area but illuminating it - you can then read in peace while the bugs go ballistic around the light'
John
AnswerID:
543076