Spiders have been around for a very long time, and they’re still here today, spinning webs and hunting insects. So if you use LED strip lights and notice more spiders in your home, you might be wondering if the lights are to blame and if there’s something about the lighting wavelengths that might attract these creatures.
If you want your LED strip lights to fulfill a certain purpose or like the look of the lights, then you might be concerned about an influx of spiders once you get your new lights. Therefore, it’s best to research the connection between LED strip lights and spiders.
LED strip lights do attract spiders; however, they aren’t directly responsible. Many bugs are attracted to LED strips because they prefer well-lit environments and often gravitate towards LEDs. Additionally, spiders follow food sources; therefore, they’re naturally more likely to set up homes where they can find many bugs to eat.
Here’s what you should know about spiders and LED strips:
How Do LED Lights Attract Spiders?
If you’ve installed LED strips, you might realize that more spiders are on your LED lights than before. While this might be coincidental, it’s also possible that your LED lights had an impact.
Here are some possible reasons why more spiders might be attracted to your LED lights:
- LED Lights Attract Bugs and Insects, Which Attract Spiders
- There might be an influx of spiders on your LED lights because they attract insects, making it easier for the arachnids to find their next meal.
- If you don’t want your LED lights to attract spiders, be sure not to place them near any food source or anything that could give off smells, such as trash cans.
- If spiders are already in your area, you can use an insecticide spray at night when they are most active, but before they get into areas where they can climb up onto surfaces other than ceilings and walls.
The Warmth of LED Lights Attracts Spiders
The warmness of LED lights attracts spiders at night. Like most other bugs, spiders have thermal receptors, which allow them to detect things that emit heat. Therefore, spiders are mostly attracted to LED lights because they are warm.
Spiders often feel like they have a more stable platform when they’re on something warm. Therefore, even if you have an insect killer near your LED lights that goes off at night, spiders might not get affected because they might stay on the LED lights until morning and leave.
You can prevent the above scenario by spraying enough bug killer in areas where it emits warmth. Additionally, you might want to ensure that your LED lights are not near places with a good probability of spiders climbing up onto surfaces other than just the ceilings and walls.
LED Lights Create Vibrations That Attract Spiders
Spiders are attracted to heat and vibrations; therefore, LED lights can give off the impression that something is moving (heat) and emit small amounts of light in their infrared spectrum.
The movement often makes faint vibrations that a spider might feel through its sensitive hairs on the legs. Spiders can also sense the very weak blips of heat when they are close enough to a bright light source.
Spiders do not move towards LED lights; however, if they’re nearby, they will investigate the source of the unusual heat signature and a potential threat worth investigating.
Spiders Are Attracted to the Color of LED Lights
The color of your LED lights might also determine whether or not it attracts spiders. Different colors emit different heat levels, affecting how much spiders like certain types of LED lights compared to others.
What Color of LED Lights Attract Spiders?
Shorter wavelengths such as blue, UV, and green light are much more visible to bugs than longer ones such as red, orange, and yellow light. Generally, LED lights produce little to no UV light, making them less visible to bugs.
However, your LED lights might still produce shorter wavelengths of light, such as white, blue, or any cool color, which will attract spiders and other types of bugs.
When looking for bug-resistant LED lights, selecting a bulb or fixture that emits more wavelengths above 550 nanometers, such as yellow light, warm white, or ultra-warm white, is best.
Are Spiders Afraid of LED Lights?
Spiders tend to avoid light, preferring dark places; however, most insects they feed on are attracted to light. With dark colors, you’ll discourage the bugs that spiders eat, and it also helps to keep your outdoor lights off.
Spiders’ attraction to green LED lights is real; however, this color tends to keep bugs away. Other bugs prefer bright colors such as yellow, white, or orange. Therefore, green attracts spiders and tends to repel their food sources.
Additionally, spiders tend to hate light blue. People don’t just paint their porches light blue for the aesthetic; they do so because it’s an effective way of keeping spiders away. This color also repels wasps; therefore, they can’t build their nests, nor can spiders weave their webs.
How to Keep Spiders Away From LED Lights
Having spiders around your beautiful LED lights can be annoying. Here’s how you can keep spiders away from your LED lights:
Turn Off the LED Lights at Night
You can keep spiders away from your LED lights by turning them off at night. Turning off your LED lights at night means that there won’t be any light to attract them to your house, keeping them away.
Spray Insecticide Near LED Lights
One way of getting rid of spiders and other bugs is using insecticide. You can spray the insecticide near the LED lights to help prevent spiders from coming around because they’re nocturnal animals that hunt at night.
Use LED Light Fixtures Above 550 Nanometers
You can select LED light fixtures or bulbs with more wavelengths above 550 Nanometers. Using LED lights above 550 nanometers is also a great way to eliminate spiders. Additionally, bug-resistant LED light fixtures to emit more wavelengths above 550 nanometers, such as warm white light and ultra-warm white or yellow light.
Use Shear Tape on Your LED Light Fixtures
Using shear tape on your LED light fixtures is a great way to eliminate spiders. Applying some shear tapes around the lights will help you prevent spiders from climbing up to them and thus will be less likely to come around.
Clean Up After Yourself
It’s best to clean up after yourself if you want to avoid bugs. For example, leaving dishes in the sink could attract a lot of bugs; therefore, it’s best to clean up to avoid such a scenario.
You can also keep food in containers and ensure that all trash is disposed of off properly so that it doesn’t attract insects to come around your home.
Another way of cleaning up after yourself is reducing the number of places where dust particles or dirt can accumulate. This step will drastically reduce the chances that insects like spiders or bugs can build a home near your LED light fixtures.
What Should You Do If You Find Spiders Around LED Lights?
If you’ve seen a spider around your LED lights, you can try the following options to contain the situation:
Use a Fly Swatter
You can use a fly swatter to eliminate the spider(s) around your LED lights. However, it’s best to be careful as some spiders can bite.
You can use the swatter to eliminate spiders found around your LED fixtures. However, if you hit them severally, it might get messy and gross. Therefore, try to catch the spider with a cup or anything else and release it outside.
Use Insecticides
If you find a spider around your house or your LED lights, you can use an insecticide to eliminate it. If there’s an insecticide in your house that will not leave, use an insecticide and be sure to open all your windows to let it out.
Switch Off the LED Light
You can turn off your LED lights when you see a spider around it. Turn off the lights and wait for a while to eliminate the conditions that drew the spider in.
Switching off your LED light fixtures when you see a spider around them will prevent them from coming closer.
You risk attracting bugs and insects whenever you use lights in your home. Many insects are naturally attracted to light, especially blue wavelengths; therefore, they’re drawn to homes with artificial lighting from LEDs, bulbs, and screens.
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If you’ve noticed more spiders around your LED lights, they’re probably attracted to the bright color. If insects are near your strip lights, take time to clean the area and use repelling products such as citrus and cedar-scented sprays.
