Energy Circle - Latest Comments in Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Pete Bunner — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:19:24 -0000

Uncle B, please check out http://www.smartlightingsho... for powerful LED grow lights at reasonable prices.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Doug the Slug — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:54:40 -0000

Newp! Small misunderstanding in LED operation. Light Emitting Diode. They're so efficient that they produce almost no waste heat as a by product; almost all light. it like a cooler, more efficient sun, dude! (GIGO, by the way)

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

BUGGY — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:14:18 -0000

I HAD A LED PORCH LIGHT ALL SUMMER, IT WAS COATED IN BUGS, NO DIFFERENT THAN THE CFL IT REPLACED! EVEN MORE MOSQUITOES!

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

David Rosen — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:08:10 -0000

FACT CHECK PLEASE. Who told you that insects are only attracted to UV? If this were the case then they wouldn't be attracted to ordinary incandescent bulbs since they emit very little UV, or in any case a simple UV filter would make any light non-attracting to bugs while keeping it white.

Note that "bug lights" are *yellow* for a reason -- insects are attracted to blue light as well as UV (google it). They are less attracted as you go up in wavelength in the spectrum. So some *yellow* to *red* LEDs might not attract insects. Maybe green would be okay too -- or better than white or blue anyway.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

ben — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:44:39 -0000

tranditional bulb makes more heat,that attract bugs

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Coc Nballz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:15:49 -0000

This is NOT true. I repeat NOT TRUE. Anyone who has spent anytime in the outdoors can tell u stories of bugs dive bombing your LED headlamp. If u dont believe me try it yourself. Im not saying the same amount of bugs come at both lights but i promise bugs will still come.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

wdmallett — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:16:23 -0000

Thanks for all the great comments, guys, glad to see a discussion going. You can get UV LEDs, but most standard residential LED lighting emits almost no light in the UV range (with, for Tez, an emphasis on the almost; in the jungle on a dark night that "almost none" would, to jungle bugs, probably seem more like "a whole lot.") While the human eye doesn't register UV light, plants do; so an LED grow light would contain UV light, which would make it attractive to insects. Hope that clears up any questions; again, thanks for all the great comments!

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Dave — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:49:43 -0000

LEDs come in light wavelengths from IR to UV. Just pick the right LEDs. Google UV LEDs.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Shran — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:48:30 -0000

UV-LEDs are available as well, has someone tested the whether those attract bugs ?

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Saber — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 09:58:00 -0000

There are LED plant grow light available. I have no idea how well they work.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Tez — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:13:21 -0000

huh... this seems potentially false by my experiences, I'll explain.

Last summer I was in ecuador and I had an LED based headlamp. After the sun went down, there was a CONE of insects swarming in the light of the lamp (the headlamp was my hand- having it on my actual head would prove more than disgusting). This happened with my LED based flashlight as well, and if I had either light on while I was getting into my tent, I would have to sleep with many dozen of the critters that had followed me in.

This is of course anecdotal, and I don't intend for you to infer that this will be the case for you. In Ecuador there were quite the orders of magnitude more insects present compared with the US, and many fewer light sources to draw them in with. This may therefore be treated as a "less visible" light rather than a completely "invisible" light as implied by the article.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Ziggy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:30:25 -0000

Uncle B: http://www.homegrownlights....

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Ziggy — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:27:23 -0000

To Mark,

Or maybe they produce way less heat.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

prius04 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:15:54 -0000

To Uncle B,

I think indoor grow lights need UV to work well. If LEDS don't attract bugs due to lack of UV, it sounds like you are out of luck.

Plants use light energy and convert it to tissue. If the LED uses less energy to make light then the laws of physics say that there is therefore less energy in that light. So regardless of the UV issue, it seems to me the laws of physics makes LED use to grow plants spurious.

In physics, you can't get something for nothing.

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

Uncle B — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:43:37 -0000

Low-light, Northern Climate dweller here . . .I await LEDs cheap enough to use as "Grow Lights" for indoor veggie operations! Salads, and everything green, for that matter, require oil to transport to my front door, and I hope, by using local nuclear power, and LEDs, to profit from indoor hydroponics! I am also tinkering with the aquaponics notions, so where are the new cheaper high efficiency LED grow lamps anyway?

Re: Newsflash: LEDs Don’t Attract Bugs.

jayne lello — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:53:16 -0000

this is fascinating and a DEFINITE advantage, especially in Maine, bug capital of the world (assumption from a bug bitten patriot)... I look forward to NOT watching the poor moths endure head injuries as they bump, continually, into the night lights of the woods camps and town porches, and wait, anxiously, to enter whenever an outside door opens and shuts..... this should be headline news.