insects, and using a bright light outdoors

I use my bright LED lights for yard work, like my Zebralight H50 and Fenix L2D, and of course my Fenix L1D and NiteCore D10. I've noticed that certain flying insects get attracted to the light and it's a bit annoying sometimes.

Anyone have any tips on using bright lights but still keeping the bugs away?

I wonder if insects can notice higher PWM rates than we do. Low frequency PWM is quite anoying to me, maybe its the same for insects.

Have someone else hold the light for you

cave dave said:

Have someone else hold the light for you

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LOL

Are you volunteering?

Cave Dave, that is priceless.

LOL i know what u mean led holic, i normally do my beam testing in my back yard from my window, so i opened my window, turned on my new p3d q5 ( new to me at the time any ways! ) and alllllllllllllllthese bugs come flooding thru my window ( i had to open the screen also so it wouldnt reflect back ) and it was a bit annoying, i guess all the other times i've done that, was in the winter time....


a solution....i know the drug store sells a bug lightbulb that produces a yellower light? maybe....a red filter or blue filter might help? or just plain old bug spray, on ur flashlight ( my discolor ur light though....)but if its a beater light then its okay i guess? thats the best i can come up with ....

I'll try my yellow lux 3 light tonight to see if it helps. But while it is bright its a flooder.

Maybe attach the light to a tripod a few feet away.

I love headlamps but bugs are definately an issue and they will fly right into your eyes.

This is why I don't like using headlamps in the summer. Why don't headlamp manufacturers try yellow LEDs?

The first time I brought out the 1000 watt light I left it on and walked down to street to see the beam in sky. Anyway when I came back there was hundreds bugs flying around it, Well the funny part was when I was coming up the stairs to my deck I saw smock coming from my light! I though it caught fire, But I didn't rush over because I knew that couldn't be it "my light is completely made from metal:naughty:." The deal was that about 50 bugs had hit the glass and died and now were all smoking on the lens! From the intense heat.

Dang, that's what you call an insect barbecue!!

This phenomena happens with green/cyan LEDs as well.. Very badly... As far as I can tell, Red LEDs seem to attract the least bugs.

I like to harvest the squash and cucumbers by flashlight when I won't be bothering the bees. At least the bugs my light attracts at night don't sting.

Geoff

That gives me an idea. Ever had dozens of moths and other flying insects in your room just before you are about to go to bed? Might try mounting a green LED inside a tin and using it to attract them into the tin, closing the tin, going outside and shaking them out.

I found the yellow thread protector caps from small compressed-air and CO2 tanks (like for paintball) fit some lights perfectly. The LM31 for example.
I didn't actually get to test it outdoors yet, but the light it puts out looks very similar to the yellow bug-resistent light bulbs.
This also knocks the light way down, it would be more useful as a sitting around the picnic table at night light rather than a walking/working light.
But if that wavelength doesn't attract bugs it would be a cheap starting point for a color filter.
My mom has that light right now and I have the filter. But she is a yard work-aholic so I need to arrange a real world test.

Interesting info, RebelXTNC. I currently use water bottle caps as filters for my NiteCore D10. Maybe if I paint one yellow it might help. Will wait your test results (and others here as well) first before I go through the trouble.

well i tried out the orange L1P last night but when I dimed down the D10 to a comparable level, neither one attracted bugs.

cave dave said:

well i tried out the orange L1P last night but when I dimed down the D10 to a comparable level, neither one attracted bugs.

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Good news!

So yellow / orange colors work. I wonder why that is.

No, I was saying neither the white LED or the orange LED attracted bugs when they were at comparable output levels. The orange 1w Lux just isn't all that bright.

LED-holic said:

Good news!

So yellow / orange colors work. I wonder why that is.

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i wonder too, but i believe i heard why bugs are attracted to light is because at night their instinctive to follow the moon or something? i donno.....

Last time I was up in PA i wanted to give my POB HID some real use. HOLY COW did that thing attract more bugs/moths than I could imagine!!! About every 10mins I would have to switch it off and my gf would fire up her 6PL (which by the way will make pretty much ANY light seem dim as all get out :laughing.

I also wondered how more people were not plagued by this, I mean they were literally bouncing off my face/hand constantly, and over time more and more bugs joined in. Sadly it got so bad (and the POB gets pretty heavy after a while) that I ditched it in the woods and picked it up on the way back, it was THAT bad.

It's worth noting that when we switched over to her 6PL the bugs and moths all went away.. Weird...


--Paul