Why LEDs make a better insect light trap
Businesses handling food or medicines, for example, that require clean surroundings are at risk from flies and other flying insects. They cause problems in sectors of businesses that interact with customers, such as hotels and convention centres.
Every business, whether it be a huge warehouse or a café, requires an efficient fly removal solution that is fit for their particular conditions. When selecting an insect light trap (ILT), a business should take into account a variety of things.
While conventional ILTs may be excellent in killing flies, LED ILTs are just as effective—if not more so—and provide a number of additional advantages.
The sustainability of LEDs
Everyone who uses LED lights in their house is aware of how much energy they save compared to traditional light bulbs. The traditional fluorescent bulbs used in ILTs also fit this description.
In contrast to fluorescent tube-based ILTs, which consume 60–90 watts of electricity, a typical LED strip requires just 10 watts of power. A Lumnia ILT with Lumnia LED bulbs may save up to 70% of electricity compared to identical traps with fluorescent tubes, and the carbon footprint is decreased by 62%, according to our own experiments.
In addition to having changeable light output, LED bulbs can also use less electricity than fluorescent tubes, which results in even greater energy savings. In low light conditions and at night, the power and output of the LED bulbs may be decreased while still successfully attracting flies since the contrast in light output with the surroundings is crucial for attracting flies.
Businesses may save even more money and lessen their environmental impact by using Lumnia machines' day and night modes, which further reduce power usage when it's not needed.
Insect light traps employ conventional fluorescent bulbs, which only last for approximately a year before needing to be replaced. The output of UV light only dims to 50% of its initial brightness throughout that period.
For at least three years, LED bulbs emit UV light, and only then do they dim to 70% of their initial output. Therefore, the LED lights not only have a longer lifespan than fluorescent tubes, which saves on replacement costs, but they also retain a higher output of UV light during that time, which keeps them active for a longer amount of time.
Compared to the traditional L3 fluorescent tubes used in ILTs, the UV output of LED lamps is around 80% higher. This indicates that the UV output of LEDs is still comparable to a brand-new L3 fluorescent bulb even after three years of operation.
The safety of LEDs
Fluorescent bulbs pose a safety concern if handled improperly since they need a variety of dangerous chemicals to function. To regulate this process, they include low-pressure mercury vapour, which produces light when an electric current flows through it, as well as other gases like argon, xenon, neon, or krypton.
To transform the UV light generated by the mercury into the required wavelengths, a fluorescent material consisting of different metallic and rare earth phosphor salts is coated within the glass tube. The tungsten electrodes in the lamp also include coatings of barium, strontium, and calcium oxides to enhance their performance.
On the other hand, a small semiconductor chip is enclosed in plastic in an LED bulb. A light for an ILT is made by stacking many of them on a plastic or metal strip. In regular usage, there are no dangerous compounds that might leak into the environment.
The fragile glass tube that houses the mercury vapour and the other elements stated above is what makes up a fluorescent tube. If dropped or hit, the glass tube is easily broken, dispersing glass and all the chemicals inside the tube all over the place where food is handled.
An LED bulb has neither breakable glass nor potentially dangerous chemicals that might be dispersed in a space where food is handled. LED ILTs are completely safe for a food environment since they do not shatter when dropped repeatedly in testing.
LEDs and flies' attraction to them
The graph displays how responsive photoreceptors in a house fly's eyes are to various light wavelengths. This demonstrates that the fly's photoreceptors are tuned to wavelengths of about 350 nm, which are similar to the UV output of Lumnia LEDs (365 nm).
Flying insects can sense UV light at its strongest, which is produced by LED bulbs. Indoor surroundings have less UV light, therefore the LED bulbs will seem to flies as strong sources of light and draw them to the device.
Expanded reach
The ILT's reach—the distance at which the light is bright enough to draw insects—is also increased by the brightness of the LED bulbs. When compared to a conventional L3 fluorescent tube, the reach of the LED lamp strip was found to be 80% higher during testing of our Lumnia ILTs (UV light measured in watts per square metre on a flat surface).
Since an LED bulb will attract flies and other insects from a farther out, fewer units are needed in a broad area since they may be spaced apart. By reducing the number of ILTs, power expenses, and lamp replacement, organisations may save money on all three fronts.
Hygiene
When flies are zapped by some electric classic fly-traps, their pieces can escape and contaminate locations where food is handled, for example.
In order to precisely address this, Lumnia units for high-dependency locations use potent glueboards and an encapsulation module that traps flies and stops the insect pieces from blowing out. These reduce the possibility of cross-contamination, improving the hygienics of fly control.
In addition to being equally or even more effective than conventional flytraps, Lumnia LED ILTs are also more affordable, environmentally friendly, and sanitary. But compared to other LED ILTs, the Lumnia line from BENWEI has a wider reach and captures flies more quickly. They are also aesthetically pleasant enough to be used in front-of-house settings because to their contemporary design.
