What Color Light Repels Flying Bugs

Less attractive to bugs yellow incandescent high pressure sodium and regular incandescent light radiate less blue and ultraviolet light thus reducing the attraction of insects to the area.

What color light repels flying bugs.

Incandescent bulbs brought in the largest insect haul averaging about eight per hour. This blue green color or haint blue is not only calming and aesthetically pleasing but also it apparently helps repel bugs. Research published in the proceedings of the royal society reports that near ultraviolet light and blue light attract tsetse flies whereas uv reflecting surfaces or objects with green yellow reflectivity repel them. Keeping the sitting areas and rv entrances illuminated in those wavelength colors such as yellows oranges and reds will help keep down the number of flying insects attracted to your site.

These colors also reflect light rather than absorbing it which could also attract flying bugs. The bug lights and warm colored leds were roughly tied for least attractive at about 4 5. Haint blue paint is reported to have been first used by african slaves to secure the entry of their homes from spirits. In general the longer lower the wavelength is the less likely a bug is to see the associated color.

Looking at a light spectrum chart you ll notice that warmer colors like red orange and yellow have the lowest longest wavelengths. Lights that emit a majority of longer wavelengths yellow orange red colors are less visible. Heat can also draw bugs into an area. Bulbs that emit more short wavelengths of light cool white bluish color will attract more bugs.

While no lighting will every repel biting insects studies do show some colors and light types will be more attractive than others. Bright colors like yellow orange and blue can attract bees for their flower imitating properties. The brighter colors such as yellow and orange are the same as flowers. According to the results by far the worst option for outdoor lighting was traditional incandescent bulbs while the best and least appealing to insects was a warm coloured led light those are the leds that produce a yellow orange hue rather than cool blue light.

Red which is at the far end of the spectrum is actually completely invisible to insects. Like some birds they are out looking for a place to find a meal.