How technology has made it easier for us to accomplish environmentally friendly LED lighting. Recently we’ve had a flurry of email questions pertaining to our blog article posted in October about the ‘bug controversy’. For years, LED light bulb manufacturers made the claim that LED light bulbs do not draw bugs. In my personal experience, I don’t have near the population of moths and other flying insects gathering around my outdoor lighting. However, I do not claim to be an Entomologist, and there could be many reasons for that including a decrease in the insect population in the area, a decrease in moisture for their breeding grounds, and who knows what else. I draw from my personal experience when writing this blog and also research, as do you, and provide the most reliable information on a topic as I can. Bottom line is (please read the entire bug blog if you’re so inclined) the lower the Kelvin and/or longer the wavelength, the less bugs will see it. That doesn’t make every LED light bulb a ‘bug light’. To further clarify, white LED bulbs are measured in Kelvin. Our warm white LED light bulbs range from 2700-3000K. That’s far warmer than a natural white (4000K) or a daylight white (5000-6000K). As to colored LED bulbs, we offer red LED light bulbs with a peak wavelength of 630nM and orange LED light bulbs with a peak wavelength of 625nM. The wavelength of the red led light bulb is longer than the orange. So it follows that if you have a bug issue, you might find LED light bulbs most effective in red, then orange, then yellow, then warm white, then natural white, and last of all daylight white. Colored LED bulbs aren’t just about bugs. Light pollution is a serious threat to many types of wildlife. Each year, artificial lights cause disruption of behavior, injury and death to thousands of migrating birds, sea turtles and other reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, and invertebrates. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission states that there is no substitute for an absolute dark, natural environment. However, if you must have outdoor lighting in these areas, follow the following guidelines: Keep it LOW – mount the fixture as low as possible to minimize light trespass, and use the lowest amount of light needed for the task Keep it SHIELDED – fully shield the light so bulbs and/or glowing lenses are not visible to minimize light trespass Keep it LONG – use long wavelength light sources (ambers and reds) in the appropriate lighting fixtures We do have red and orange PAR38 Flood Lamps and red and orange A19 bulbs which suit those criteria and have been certified as such. Questions on this topic? Let us know. And thank you as always for coming to TheLEDLight.com
By: Mary Wecker
