What Color Light Repels Flying Bugs

Like some birds they are out looking for a place to find a meal.

What color light repels flying bugs.

Heat can also draw bugs into an area. 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. 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.

Bright colors like yellow orange and blue can attract bees for their flower imitating properties. Haint blue paint is reported to have been first used by african slaves to secure the entry of their homes from spirits. This blue green color or haint blue is not only calming and aesthetically pleasing but also it apparently helps repel bugs. Colors that most bugs want to keep away from are green and even some blues.

Incandescent bulbs brought in the largest insect haul averaging about eight per hour. Some paints can reflect light more brightly than others which can draw in more insects. Bulbs that emit more short wavelengths of light cool white bluish color will attract more bugs. 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.

The brighter colors such as yellow and orange are the same as flowers. The bug lights and warm colored leds were roughly tied for least attractive at about 4 5. It also has an important folk lore purpose of warding off evil spirits. These colors also reflect light rather than absorbing it which could also attract flying bugs.

Red which is at the far end of the spectrum is actually completely invisible to insects. 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.