Attracting insects is one of the most common problems LED light users face. In addition to insects, many still wonder: Do LED lights attract spiders?
They didn’t know if the spiders were weaving their webs around this light fixture because the light had drawn them or for some other reason.
In today’s post, let’s clarify why LED lights attract spiders. You can find ways to prevent spiders near LED or strip lights through this knowledge.
Let’s learn about this exciting topic right here!
Do LED lights attract bugs?
Does led strip lights attract bugs? According to scientists, bugs often love light sources that emit UV rays. LEDs don’t usually produce UV, so it doesn’t attract many insects.
You may still see a small number of LEDs that are likely to attract bugs, but not because of the UV rays. Instead, insects are attracted to these LEDs due to the device’s wavelength, color temperature, luminance, and CRI.
Insects tend to fly to light sources with more light with shorter wavelengths, such as blue light.
Their preference makes UV lights and blue and green LEDs able to attract insects. Meanwhile, devices that emit yellow and red light are not highly attractive to creatures.
For the same reason, the insect trap lights are all LEDs with a high color temperature index. Household LED lights with a color temperature above 3600K are more attractive to ants, termites, and butterflies than other devices.
In addition, high-glare lights are also an attractive area for insects. Accordingly, many species of organisms cannot resist the attraction of light. They will find a place with a higher brightness than the surrounding environment: the LED bulbs.
Finally, the higher the CR, the greater its ability to attract insects. The cause of this phenomenon comes from the light properties that high CRI LEDs produce. Devices with a CRI above 80 produce visible colored light, and these rays attract insects.
Find out more about the relation between LED Lights and Bugs at: Do led lights attract bugs ?
Do LED lights attract spiders?
Yes, LEDs can attract spiders. This fact can become a nightmare for those who are afraid of spiders.
Many people find that the number of spiders in their homes increases dramatically when they switch from bright incandescent lights to LEDs.
To explain this phenomenon, scientists have conducted many studies. The results show that LEDs’ wavelengths are more attractive to many more giant creatures than incandescent lamps, including spiders.
Plus, you can imagine a more extensive process. Their living habits can explain the fact that LEDs are excellent habitats for spiders.
Accordingly, spiders eat insects, and insects are attracted to the light emitted by LED lights. Therefore, LED strip lights have become a big attraction for these 8-legged animals.
What elements of LED lights attract spiders?
Wondering why do LED lights attract spiders? The attraction of LEDs to spiders stems from many direct and indirect factors.
If you see spiders around your lights, it could be because they love the delicate nature of the device. Or the spiders may be looking for an efficient place to feed.
Let’s take a look at the 6 main factors that lead to spiders coming to live near LED bulbs. These details include wavelength, color temperature, light intensity, heat and vibrations, and food source.
The wavelength of LED lights
First, the wavelength of the LED lights is one of the causes of an increase in the number of spiders in your household.
You already know the attraction of short-wavelength light rays to insects.
With spiders, they are also attracted to these types of lights. Many spiders hunt at night, and they can detect short wavelengths. So they will look to UV bulbs and LEDs that emit blue light.
If you change the light to a lamp that emits long-wavelength light, you will see fewer spiders around the lighted area. You can observe this when using yellow and red LEDs. Spiders are almost absent in areas with this type of light.
Food Source
Although the nature of light is one factor that attracts spiders, it is not the main reason why spiders love light bulbs.
Spiders usually want to find an available and safe food source. Therefore, the new food source reasonably explains spiders near LED lights.
As I mentioned above, insects are attracted to LED light. Insects can see ultraviolet or light rays with wavelengths between 300-420 nanometers of the light source. At that time, they will fly back and surround your lighting device.
Insects attracted to light, such as moths, mosquitoes, butterflies, etc., are nutritious food for spiders.
Therefore, when spiders weave a web next to the LED lights, they quickly catch various insects. This hunting strategy is beneficial and intelligent.
The abundant number of small animals gathered around the bulb is an excellent source of food that the 8-legged hunter is aiming for. Spiders will not have to put in too much effort or wait long to catch their prey. You can quickly notice that spider webs near light bulbs have more dead insects than spider webs in dark locations.
Heat and vibrations
In addition, spiders may be attracted to the heat and vibrations that your light fixtures produce.
Since high temperatures help organisms increase their metabolism and grow better, they often prefer warm areas. You may see more insects and spiders in spring and summer rather than in fall and winter.
Like many other animals, spiders also have receptors. The multisensory coat on the animal’s legs gives it a sense of its surroundings.
When near light bulbs, spiders sense the right temperature for their growth. Because of this, many people believe that spiders seek out light bulbs to feel warm.
How the LEDs glow can also cause spiders to mistake them for vibrations. Spiders catch prey through a sense of movement, which is why they seek out next to light bulbs.
The color temperature of LED lights
In nature, the period from sunset to dark is when many species of animals hunt. Many types of spiders also track at this time.
Some types of LEDs produce a warm white light that can depict natural light at dusk.
These devices have color temperatures between 2700K light and 3000K. It is this color band that attracts the spiders. They look around the light bulbs to start casting nets to catch prey.
Intensity of light
Finally, many scientists also believe that the light bulb’s intensity creates attraction for spiders.
Spiders have their sense organs to perceive light. In nature, light is a factor that helps organisms navigate, hunt and maintain circadian rhythms. Insects and spiders, therefore, both need light sources.
The more intense the light bulb produces, the farther the light can travel. When insects sense this light source, they will approach the light bulb.
Then, spiders can not only see better, but they can also catch more prey. Therefore, the high-intensity light bulb attracts more spiders to live closer to that area.
Ways to prevent spiders around LED lights
After this article, you have gained a new understanding of why spiders want to be near your LED lights. From there, we can figure out how to prevent spiders from getting on our light bulbs.
There are five most effective methods to prevent spiders on light bulbs.
These methods include using insecticide, placing LED lights, using LED lights above 550nm, switching off LED lights, keep cleaning. We will detail these measures shortly.
Using insecticide around LED lights
First of all, consider using insecticide around the LED area. It will help limit the number of insects and spiders that gather in this location.
Nocturnal predators like spiders will no longer be so fond of your bulbs when there is no food.
In addition, the unpleasant smell and toxicity of the chemical can also repel and kill some types of spiders.
However, pesticides are often very toxic and can affect human health. Therefore, you need to follow the safety regulations the manufacturer gives strictly.
If there are children in your family, you must consider carefully before deciding to use chemicals.
Placing LED lights in good positions
Next, you can consider where to install the LED so that spiders cannot reach it. It would help to place lights where spiders cannot climb over walls or ceilings to weave.
In addition, you should also install lights away from where you and your loved ones sit every day.
If there are spiders on the bulb, they won’t fall or hover over people’s heads. The fact that spiders fall on people will become a nightmare for anyone, especially those who fear this 8-legged animal.
Using LED lights above 550 Nanometers
According to the information above, spiders love light with low wavelengths, from 300 – 420nm. Therefore, you only need to use lamps with higher wavelengths to limit their preference for bulbs.
Experts recommend using LEDs with wavelengths above 550 nm. These devices are bright enough to produce light similar to daylight. When it’s sunny outside, it’s not when spiders hunt, so a light bulb will probably deter spiders.
Switch off LED lights at night
You can turn off the LEDs at night or when not in use. This method limits spiders and insects in your home, saves electricity, and protects the environment.
By simply turning off the lights, you can solve a lot of problems. At that time, the light bulb will limit the attraction of insects. Without insects gathering around the light bulb, spiders would not want to come to this area because they cannot feed there.
Usage of natural bug repellents around LEDs
You can use natural insect repellents to avoid the harmful effects of insecticides.
Many essential oils are highly effective in repelling small critters in the home without causing detrimental effects on human health.
The most useful essential oil you can use is menthol. The strong scent of mint will make ants, mosquitoes, and spiders stay away. Therefore, using menthol will quickly reduce the number of spiders on your LED lights.
You can spray the diluted essential oil solution with water directly around the lamp. Or placing a cotton ball soaked in essential oils near the light fixture is also an intelligent choice.
If you don’t like the smell of mint, you can mix in lavender, citrus, or tea tree oils. This scent not only keeps bugs and spiders away, but it also helps you relax.
Keep cleaning LED lights
One of the ways that anyone should do it is to clean the house and the light bulb area regularly.
You need to remove cobwebs and eggs and repel spiders around LED lights to make your home clean. In clean spaces, spiders will not come to life.
In addition, preventing insects from entering and multiplying in your home is also a great measure to limit spider growth.
You need to store food covered to avoid ants, cockroaches, or mosquitoes from gathering in the house.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the answer to the question “Do LED lights attract spiders?” Emberlight would say is “Yes”, although the relationship between spiders and LEDs is not simple.
These eight-legged creatures don’t just come because your light source has the wavelength, color temperature, intensity of light, and vibrations they love.
Spiders also want the heat to keep warm, especially when the weather is cold. In addition, the insect-attracting properties of LED lights create an ideal food source for spiders to live.
To avoid spider silk around LED bulbs, you can use chemicals or use lamps with light that is not attractive to spiders. Turning off lights when not in use and cleaning your lighting equipment regularly are also effective methods.
Good luck in keeping your house clean and free of spiders!
