LED lights are a quick way to light up your designs and add a touch of elegance to your home décor. But many homeowners find that installing these lights increases the number of bugs, including arachnids, in their homes. This makes them wonder, ‘Do LED lights attract spiders?
The answer is yes! LED lights attract spiders. The presence of spiders near LED lights is influenced by several factors, including the availability of food (bugs and insects), shelter, and moisture, rather than just the type of lighting used. In short, spiders are attracted to food which they can easily find near LED lights.
However, for someone who shudders at the thought of these eight-legged creatures, does this fact imply that LED lights cannot be used in your home? Well, as long as you know how to keep bugs at bay, you can revel in a well-lit home without worrying about spiders ruining the ambiance. In this blog post, we’ll explore the following:
- Why are spiders attracted to light?
- What color LED lights attract spiders?
- How to keep spiders away from LED lights?
Find all this information and more in this article to keep your home spider-free and illuminated with LED lights. Let’s hop in!
Why are Spiders Attracted to Light?
Before blaming LED lights for attracting spiders with their glow, you should understand more about the food chain that comes with installing lights in your home.
LED lights do not attract spiders, but rather the food they eat: bugs, moths, flies, etc. All of these insects are instinctively attracted to light. It doesn’t matter if you have ordinary or LED lights – you will find plenty of critters around them.
This light love of insects is partly because insects navigate the world differently than humans. For instance, nocturnal insects like moths look to the stars and the moon as their navigational compass. However, the latest lighting technologies have confused these poor insects into believing that every artificial light source is the moon. Hence, they circle around the light to keep it at a constant angle.
The warmth of the LED lights also attracts bugs to the light. Consequently, they flock around the light source, thinking it’s a campfire that will protect them from extreme temperatures.
Since spiders love eating bugs, it’s only natural for them to follow their prey near these lighting units to enjoy abundant food.
💡 Fact to Light Up Your Mind 💡 Research has found that LED lights are less attractive to bugs, insects, and moths than traditional incandescent bulbs, particularly those with a higher color temperature. This may be beneficial for reducing the presence of insects and spiders in outdoor areas. |
What LED Light Colors Attract Spiders?
As established above, spiders are not necessarily drawn to light, so it is pointless to search for what light colors attract spiders or what color light do spiders hate. To deter spiders from your home, you only need to find out what colors do bugs hate since they are what spiders are attracted to.
The factors listed below help you determine what LED light colors attract bugs – and ultimately spiders – so you can choose the right light color for your home:
Heat-emitting Colors:
Warm color lights such as warm yellow, ultra-warm white, and red emit an additional amount of heat, attracting more bugs and, eventually, spiders. Hence, you should avoid these LED light colors for a spider-free ambiance.
Shorter Wavelength Colors:
Another factor that plays a crucial role in drawing bugs is the wavelength of the light source. For example, UV, blue, and green light have shorter wavelengths that are more visible to bugs and attract more minuscule lodgers. Therefore, these light colors should be avoided to keep insects at bay.
UV Rays Emitting Colors:
Some insects, such as moths, are attracted to ultraviolet light and may be attracted to blue or purple light colors. Colors like yellow, red, and orange produce very little UV light, meaning they are less visible to insects. So, if you’re not fond of fleas and arachnids, installing lights in this color range will undoubtedly help you reduce the number of insects that reside there.
| Important Note: It is important to note that insects love bright lights, whatever the color may be. This means you cannot completely avoid bugs and spiders simply by installing lights of a certain color throughout your home. It is necessary to take extra precautions, such as installing bug lights, insect zappers, or fly traps. |
How to Keep Spiders Away from LED Lights?
The following are some practical ways to keep your LED lights free of spiders, bugs, insects, and arachnids:
1. Spray Insecticide Around The Lights
This is one of the easiest ways to prevent spider webs from multiplying around your LED lights. You can spray an insecticide every few days to clear away all types of bugs.
Since spiders can lay as many as 250 eggs at one time, using insecticide regularly will ensure that spider families don’t ruin your family time. Lighting citronella candles work the same way to repel insects and spiders, so take your pick and keep your home free of bugs.
DIY Spider Repellent Spray Some essential oils, such as eucalyptus, peppermint, cedarwood, and lavender, have a strong aroma that spiders dislike. You can use these oils to create a natural spider repellent by mixing a few drops with water and some diatomaceous earth (optional). Spray this homemade solution around the perimeter of your light fixtures to keep spiders and bugs from entering your home. |
2. Use Light Fixtures Above 550 Nanometers
As discussed earlier, bugs are unable to see lights with longer wavelengths. Therefore, you should select LED light fixtures with wavelengths above 550 nanometers. This way, you can keep insects away from your lights and reduce the number of spiders around them. Some LED light colors with wavelengths above 550 nanometers include:
- Yellow: The wavelength of yellow LED light ranges from 570 to 590 nanometers.
- Orange: The wavelength of orange LED light ranges from 600 to 620 nanometers.
- Red: The wavelength of red LED light ranges from 620 to 750 nanometers.
- Pink: The wavelength of pink LED light ranges from 600 to 650 nanometers.
3. Switch off Your LED Lights at Night
Spiders are nocturnal animals that come out to hunt at night. Therefore, switching off unnecessary LED lights at night will prevent these arachnids from coming to your home in search of prey.
Using this trick, you’ll reduce spider attraction to your home and save money on your electricity bill.
4. Clean Your LED Lights & Fixtures
Clearing colonies of minibeasts can be gross and time-consuming, but preventing spiders from settling in around your LED lights is also necessary.
Attaching a small cleaning hose to your vacuum cleaner can help suck those pesky insects that attract spiders into your home. It will also help clear away dust particles and dirty spots in which insects can build a home.
Regular cleaning will ensure that spiders stay away for good.
5. Avoid Installing Outdoor Lights
In areas populated by spiders, it’s advisable to take precautions to keep them out of your house. Avoid hanging LED lights outside your house, like in the backyard, because spiders will make webs close to the light source to catch as many bugs as possible.
If there are too many spiders outside your house, the chances of them making their way inside are relatively high.
Is it Dangerous to Have Spiders Inside Your Home?
Most people freak out just at the thought of crawling and jumping spiders. For this reason, homeowners worry their newly-installed LED lights might attract unnecessary attention from nocturnal creatures. But are they actually dangerous?
You would be happy to know that house spiders are usually harmless. While some species can bite, they are generally not aggressive and will only do so if provoked or threatened. However, it is also important to keep spiders out of your home to prevent any potential bites or allergic reactions.
If you’re still worried about spiders ruining your peace, installing LED lights away from sitting areas is a wise idea. Moreover, opt for light colors that don’t attract a lot of bugs. As a final resort, spray around the fixtures with the DIY insect repellent spray we shared with you above. It works as an effective remedy to ward off all kinds of insects and spiders from any color of light.
Do LED Lights Attract Spiders: FAQs
1. Do Spiders Hate Blue LEDs?
Spiders detest blue LEDs, so installing blue LEDs in your home will help keep them away. However, blue LED lights attract other insects, ultimately drawing spiders who are always hunting for these bugs to eat.
2. What Color Light Can Spiders Not See?
It was initially believed that spiders could only see green and ultraviolet (UV) lights and nothing else. However, recent research has revealed that spiders can also see lights in colors like red and orange.
3. Do Spiders Hide Under LED Lights?
Yes, spiders may hide under LED lights, especially if the lights provide warmth or attract insects that the spider feeds on. However, it is not a behavior that is specific to LED lights and can occur with any light source.
4. What Color Scares Spiders Away?
It is noted that the light blue color scares spiders away. Interestingly, wasps also detest the same shade of blue. However, using physical barriers or natural spider repellents is more effective at deterring spiders from entering space.
5. Can LED Lights Attract Bugs?
Yes, bugs are naturally attracted to bright LED lights. However, they attract fewer bugs than traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs.
6. Do LED Lights Attract Silverfish?
There is no evidence to suggest that LED lights attract silverfish. Silverfish are attracted to areas with high humidity, warmth, and food sources, such as paper, cardboard, or fabric. They are not drawn to light sources in general.
7. Does Blue Light Keep Insects Away?
Blue light can repel insects such as mosquitoes. However, the effectiveness of blue light as a pest control method varies greatly depending on the species of insect and the specific circumstances. Some insects, such as moths, are naturally attracted to light and may be drawn to blue light.
8. Is There a Light That Doesn’t Attract Bugs?
Yes, there are lights that don’t attract bugs. LED lights, yellow or amber-colored lights, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), solar-powered lights, and outdoor bug-zapper lights do not attract bugs and insects as much.
Wrap Up!
So, as we near the end of our article, you have an in-depth, factual, and realistic answer to ‘Do LED lights attract spiders?’
LED lights do not attract spiders into your home. Therefore, there’s no need to blame LEDs for the incoming nocturnal creatures. Instead, follow the tips mentioned above and keep those bugs and pesky spiders away from your lights. Moreover, keeping your home clean and free of excess clutter is always a smart idea, which can help deter spiders from setting up webs in your home.
If you have further questions about LED lights and their effect on attracting spiders, feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll be happy to help.