Does LED lights attract spiders? LED strip lights have significant popularity among homeowners thanks to their energy efficiency. At the same time, people often complain that LED light causes the appearance of multiple insects, including spiders, near the LED lights.
To answer the question of whether LED light is attractive to spiders, it is required to consider the main factors that determine the spider’s presence near LED strip lights.
In this article, we’ll discuss these factors, compare LED strip lights with traditional incandescent bulbs, and consider why spiders strain after the LED strip lights. In addition, we’ll suggest ways of getting rid of spiders.
Contents
- 1 The main factors that have an impact on the spider’s presence increasing and decreasing
- 1.1 The heat emitted by the LEDs
- 1.2 Location of the LED fixtures
- 1.3 The wavelength
- 1.4 The color of LED lights
- 1.5 Other considerations related to the impact of LEDs on the spider infestation
- 1.6 Spider species that are likely to be attracted by LED lighting
- 1.7 Ways to get rid of spiders near the LED lights
- 2 Final words
- 3 Frequently Asked Questions
The main factors that have an impact on the spider’s presence increasing and decreasing
Before starting the discussion of the above factors, it would be kept in mind that they mostly depend on the type and behavior peculiarities of a spider.
The heat emitted by the LEDs
Emitting less heat provides the energy efficiency of LEDs. However, this amount of heat produced by the LED strips attract spiders allowing us to refer warmth to as the factor determining the attraction of insects, and spiders as well.
Location of the LED fixtures
The spiders prefer to spin their webs close to a light source. This is because LED lights attract bugs which become an easy target for spiders.
Therefore, we can state only the indirect attraction of spiders to LEDs.
If LED light fixtures are installed in places suitable for spinning the webs, be sure that the spiders avail of this opportunity. Spiders prefer to inhabit the areas where more insects can be captured, for example, around the porch lights.
The wavelength
As opposed to traditional incandescent bulbs, LEDs emit minor UV radiation or do not irradiate ultraviolet light at all. UV light wavelengths gravitate toward bugs but they do not play a significant role in attracting the spiders.
Spiders rely on particular wavelengths generated by infrared or ultraviolet light. While LED lights attract spiders for a short time they unlikely will stay close to LED light fixtures that emit UV radiation for a long time.
This is conditioned by such feature of the LED light as emitting one wavelength. That is the reason for their less attractiveness for insects as compared with other light sources. In addition, insects strain after lights with a broader spectrum of wavelengths (like incandescent bulbs) because they are closer to the sun’s light.
The color of LED lights
Another factor worth considering is the color spectrum generated by LED strip lights. The LEDs can generate the lights in a range of colours from the warm shades of yellow light to the cold shades of pale blue light wavelengths.
For example, scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have concluded that LED lights of warm colors attract 40% fewer insects than incandescent lamps while the latter attract 80% more insects than LED strip lights.
The spiders prefer dark places for searching the targets and spinning their webs. So one cannot say confidently that LED light attracts spiders.
This happens a little bit differently. LED lights attract bugs which in turn attract spiders.
This means that to understand what colors of lights attract spiders, one should understand what colors attract their prey.
According to entomologists, the majority of insects strain after bright lights. At night, the bugs and other insects rush to the artificial lighting fixtures taking them for natural light sources. Light-emitting diodes can generate very intense white light attractive to many pests.
The research showed that LED light can attract fewer insects than the light emitted by the traditional light bulb.
Based on the expert observations, we conclude that bright white and blue LED strip lights surely attract insects and, consequently, spiders. It was noted that red LED lights deter spiders since the red LEDs generate long wavelengths and visible colors.
As some researchers state, pink, yellow, and pale blue colors of LED lights are the least preferable for insects including spiders.
It should be kept in mind that, apart from the LED light fixtures, other factors have an impact on the increase or decrease of the spider’s presence around the LED strip lights.
It is a proven fact that the spiders feel well in the environments with excessive humidity. They like to inhabit shelters.
However, the principal factor due to which the LED lights attract spiders is the crowding of multiple insects presenting an easy target for spiders.
Spider species that are likely to be attracted by LED lighting
Unlike the majority of insects, spiders don’t like the bright light. You can see the crowds of moths and flies swarming around outdoor lighting fixtures including a light bulb and LED lighting.
However, there are some species of spiders attracted to any light source, not excluding the LED strip lights.
For example, the zebra spider, a tiny species that doesn’t spin webs, is known for its photosensitivenes.
Hence, this species is likely to be attracted to LED lights.
Another species that is likely to be attracted to the LED light is the jumping spider. This species has a developed visual system consisting of four pairs of eyes. They are also sensitive to light not excluding LED lighting.
Ways to get rid of spiders near the LED lights
You can use various ways to bring down the LED attractiveness for spiders to a minimum.
The practice shows that the most effective way is to reduce the amount of insects attracted to the LED lights using the following strategies.
- Select yellow LED lights instead of white and bright blue lights.
- Don’t locate the outdoor LED lights close to the entrance doors or windows to avoid the insect infestation indoors.
- Use the insect-repelling lights that generate light frequencies unfavorable for bugs.
- Don’t install LED light fixtures near stagnant water.
Final words
Before writing this article, we got acquainted with the opinions of some researchers and individual homeowners. As seen from the discussion above, the statements concerning LED lights and their attractiveness for spiders differ.
However, all opinions are unanimous in one thing. The LED lights themselves don’t constitute a cause for spider infestation. The spiders strain not after LED lights, they head for the crowding of bugs and other insects swarming around the light source.
Based on considering the factors in favor and against the statement that the diodes attract spiders, we’ve made our conclusion. In particular, we think that between the LEDs and other lighting fixtures, there is no critical difference in the degrees of attractiveness for spiders.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color LEDs attract spiders?
LED strip light itself doesn’t draw the spiders. The matter is that the flying and crawling insects strain after LED lights. These insects, in turn, become easy targets for the spiders.
According to many explorers, the LED color plays an insignificant role in the spiders’ attraction. The spiders have sensory receptors other than vision. They respond to the movements and vibrations. However, it was noticed that the most of spider species are attracted to white lights.
Do spiders hate LED lights?
Naturally, the spiders like dark places that allow them to hide. Many explorers say that the spiders hate pale blue light.
However, the crowds of flying insects swarming around the bright LED lights attract spiders as a source of their feeding.
What bugs do LED lights attract?
The bugs like bright lights. The bright LED lights attract insects, especially, the LEDs of warm spectrum such as white color. As for the shades of yellow light, we’ve encountered the different opinions of experts.
The green color of different hues usually repels insects. At the same time, the green color lights attract spiders.
What LED color does not attract spiders?
When speaking about the attractiveness of the LED lights for the spiders, it should be kept in mind that the color itself is not a decisive factor.
The matter is that the LED lights attract bugs which, in turn, attract the spiders.
However, it is known that the light blue color is less attractive to spiders and even can kill them.