Fluros/LEDs and bugs

G'day Sandman, had a horror of an experience in Broome with LED lights and bees. Unbeknown to us when we picked our u-beaut spot in the Cable Beach van park I hadn't noticed a huge bee swarm in the tree above us. At night I turned on the LED light and the bees came around in droves. Because the light gives of almost the equivalent of sunlight the pesky little buggers didn't know any better.
I also found that the LED lights don't give a very good throw of light.

Can't help out with availability of yellow tubes as a replacement for a flluro, but I can confirm that led lights - at least the type that I have been recently using on our camping trips - definitely are NOT a bug-free replacement for a fluro.

I have tried a couple of different led alternatives. All attract bugs from near and far. A costly experiment and very disappointing.

Brian

Brian,

If you are electronics savvy, fit a controller for varying the light level.

The level is adjusted to match the camping-area so that the bugs are reduced.eg: In winter [bug-less area] you could run the light flat out etc.

IMHO the bugs are attracted by both UV & Intensity. I now use homemade LED strips which use both level adjuster, diffusers and distributed sources.

Another alternative is to use a quality headlight.

Then there is the issue of Colour Rendition with LEDs......not going there!

Hope this rant helps :)

Wok yer I'm savvy, I turn a switch on and magically this glow comes out of a bulb or similar. Basically if I can't see it I don't fathom it.

you dont need 12v fluros - they are all the same so just look at a specialized light ing sore for a yellow fluro that fits

Sorry a bit off topic here but

WOK what if you made your LED array and fitted some of the standrd yellow leds along the light, could that possibly effetc the light "colour" sufficiently???

Hoping you can help!

Well, blow me down.

I must just be lucky with the type of insects that in the SA bush.

I turned on the vesalite a bit after dusk and noticed quite a few bugs (moths and similar) were attracted to the light. So I moved it to the other end of the annex and put up the LED work light.
No bugs. Then to prove something, I turned off the vesalite asnd noticed no increase in bugs attracted to the LED.

After a half hour or so, I again turned on the vesalite and within a few minutes had attracted several moths, etc. Still no insects around the LED work light.

Boy I am so lucky I just happen to have an LED light with the right colour temperature that doesn't seem to attract insects yet is still of a reasonable light output.

Must admit I haven't come across any bees when camping yet.

Above all, any 12 volt light wins hands down over the gas lantern IMHO. I remember when I used to use one and ended up with roasted carcasses all over and around the lantern.

Jeff still on my first as well and intend to keep it that way. Hear the replacement costs are way to high and some of the newer models don't perform as well as the older models.