Red bulbs are even less attractive to insects than yellow, but red provides little visible light to humans and it carries an “undesirable” social stigma from decades ago. In addition to the color or wavelength of light, insects are also attracted to the brightness and to the heat from lights.

Do bugs get attracted to red light?

Wavelengths and color temperature:

The color that's emitted from a light source is important because of its ability to attract bugs. As previously stated, shorter wavelengths (UV, blue, and green light) are more visible to bugs than longer wavelengths (yellow, orange, and red light) and, therefore, will attract them.

What color light keeps bugs away?

Yellow-hued light bulbs are worth trying, too. “Yellow lights—and red lights—do not attract insects as much as regular white lights,” Russell says.