Study shows LED lights attract fewer insects than other lights

New research by the University of Bristol reveals that domestic LED lights are much less attractive to insects – such as biting midges – than traditional filament lamps.

Scientists highlighted the need for further research on other heat-seeking flies that transmit disease, including mosquitoes that are carriers of pathogens that cause damaging diseases such as malaria and Zika fever.

The study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council and UK lighting manufacturer, Integral LED, whose Marketing Director, Sanjiv Kotecha said: “As lighting manufacturers, we welcome that a link between LED lights and low attraction to insects has been proven. The energy saving advantages of solid-state lighting are well known, yet the benefits to well-being are only beginning to be revealed.”

Dr Andy Wakefield led the field research in a project supervised by Professors Gareth Jones and Stephen Harris from the University’s School of Biological Sciences.

Dr Wakefield said: “We were surprised by the number of biting flies drawn to the traditional tungsten lights. We do not know why this is but we know that some insects use thermal cues to find warm-blooded hosts in the night, so perhaps they were attracted to the heat given off by the filament bulb.”

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vyn14QewTU

Paper: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.2527/full