Bug Light Season Is Coming—Are You Ready?

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but spring is technically here, (even if you still have a few inches of snow on the ground) and if you haven’t thought about your outdoor lighting situation yet, the bugs are about to think about it for you.

Every year it’s the same story. You have a nice barbecue, flip on the porch light, and by 7pm the whole party is forced to move inside because there are approximately 1,000 uninvited mosquitoes. It’s embarrassing. And worse, it’s avoidable.

So, let’s talk bug lights.

What Even Is a Bug Light?

A bug light isn’t a zapper. It doesn’t spray anything or violently sizzle when a moth flies too close. A bug light is simply a bulb engineered to emit light at a wavelength that most insects can’t easily detect.

Here’s the quick science, because it’s actually kind of fascinating: insects navigate using light, and their eyes are tuned to shorter wavelengths—the blue and UV end of the spectrum. That’s why a bare white light bulb on a summer night looks like a mosh pit. The shorter the wavelength, the more visible the light is to bugs, and the more your patio becomes the hottest club in town (for mosquitoes).

Bug lights shift the color temperature down to around 2000K, which produces that warm amber/yellow glow. At 2000K, the light wavelength is long enough (~650 nanometers and above) that it essentially becomes invisible to most flying insects. They’re not attracted to a light they can barely see, so they keep moving.

One important caveat: bug lights don’t repel bugs. They don’t create some invisible forcefield around your porch. They just attract significantly fewer of them, which—if you’ve ever tried to enjoy a summer dinner outside in Florida—is genuinely life-changing.

Why Spring Is the Time to Make the Switch

You know that small window of time between “the weather is finally nice” and “why does every surface have bugs on it”? That’s right now. We’re in it. And if you haven’t upgraded your outdoor lighting yet, this is the perfect time to do so.

I always say the best lighting upgrade is the one that solves a problem before the problem becomes a big deal. Bug lights are inexpensive and easy to swap in making it the perfect upgrade.

What to Recommend and Where

Not all outdoor fixtures need a bug light and knowing the difference is what separates a good recommendation from a great one. For contractors, landscapers, and electricians looking to suggest bug repellent lighting, consider these recommendations:

• Porches and entryways: Yes, always. These are high-traffic zones where people are standing still, which is exactly when bugs become a problem. A bug light here is a no-brainer.
• Patio string lights and open-air fixtures: Absolutely. If there’s food nearby, swap to bug lights.
• Floodlights and security lights: This one depends. Motion-activated security lights are only on for short bursts, so it matters less. But if you have a security light that stays on all night—like a dusk-to-dawn fixture—a bug light is a good upgrade.
• Landscape and garden lighting: These are usually lower to the ground, which means they’re closer to where bugs live. Bug lights are a great call for path lights and accent fixtures near vegetation.
• Garage doors and high-mounted area fixtures: Honestly, this is where I see the most missed opportunities. Those high-mounted lights near garage doors are on all night and attract every moth in a three-mile radius.

The Sunco A15 Bug Light

Sunco has a line of bug lights for any outdoor fixture It runs at 2000K amber, which is the sweet spot for bug deterrence. It’s only 8 watts, so you’re saving up to 85% energy versus traditional incandescent bug bulbs. The E26 medium base means it fits in virtually every standard fixture without an adapter, and it’s UL Listed, which matters when you’re recommending something to a homeowner or speccing it on a job.

Bottom Line

Spring is here and bug lights are the move. The science is real, the results are noticeable, and the upgrade takes about 45 seconds per fixture. Your future self, sitting outside with a cold drink, unbothered, will thank you.

Looking for an easy outdoor lighting upgrade? Check out Sunco’s A15 LED Bug Lights—2000K amber glow, and built to keep your porch (and your sanity) intact all spring and summer.