The best bug light bulbs

A bug light does not repel anything. It emits in a part of the spectrum most flying insects respond to poorly, so fewer of them find the porch in the first place. The University of Georgia Extension puts it plainly: soft, yellow lights are the least attractive to most insects, and filtered yellow or amber LED attracts fewer of the flying insects.

The limits are published just as clearly, which is why this page can be useful rather than salesy. UNH Extension says yellow lights are not a cure-all, because the wavelengths insects see vary by type. LEDVANCE, which sells these bulbs, says some insects are naturally attracted to yellow light and will still fly toward the source.

And the claim people actually want is the one that fails. Mosquitoes hunt by carbon dioxide. A University of Florida entomologist reported that out of some 10,000 insects destroyed by a bug zapper in one night, only eight were mosquitoes. If mosquitoes are the problem, a bulb is not the answer.

1. Published Kelvin, against the 2200K guidance. This is the closest thing to a performance spec a bug bulb has.
2. Whether the fixture can take it. Porch lanterns are usually enclosed and always damp. Only one of these publishes an enclosed rating.
3. Output, because a porch still has a job. A bug bulb that is too dim to light the steps has solved the wrong problem.
4. Switching. A photocell suits a bulb you would otherwise leave on all night; a plain bulb suits one on a timer or a smart plug.
5. Published paperwork. A manufacturer spec sheet beats a listing, and we flag where the two disagree.

Feit Electric A19 bug light - the pick, because of where it can go. Feit is the only maker here that publishes a spec sheet, and the only one that rates its bug bulb for enclosed fixtures - which most porch lanterns are. It is damp rated and holds 25,000 hours.
Cons: Feit and the Amazon listing disagree on lumens, Kelvin and CRI, which is not a small thing on a bulb whose whole function is its color; Feit publishes no Kelvin at all; CRI 60 renders color badly; and it is not dimmable.

Qualilux dusk-to-dawn bug light - the one that switches itself. 1900K amber, 600 lumens, CRI 82, with a photocell so the porch lights at dusk and stops at dawn. For a front porch nobody remembers to switch, that combination is the whole product.
Cons: a photocell needs to see darkness, so a deep porch or a shaded lantern can confuse it; no enclosed or damp rating is published; and the listing carries three different model identifiers, which is not confidence-inspiring.

JAHEKS 2000K bug light - the plain pair. 2000K amber at 600 lumens, two to a pack, for a fixture already on a timer, a switch or a smart plug.
Cons: 20,000 hours is the shortest life here; no CRI, enclosed or damp rating is published; one-year warranty.

Move the light away from the door, if you can. The insects that do arrive gather at the brightest thing. A bug bulb by the door plus a brighter fixture twenty feet away keeps the crowd where you are not.

Use less light, later. UNH Extension's broader point is that fewer lit hours and lower output help more than any bulb color. A motion sensor or a timer does more than a bulb swap - see motion sensors and timers.

Do not expect color accuracy. CRI 60 amber makes everything look yellow, including people. This is a bulb for a service entrance, a back door or a porch you walk through - not for a dining area.

Check the fixture rating first. If your lantern is sealed, the Feit is the only pick here rated for it. The distinction is explained in wet rated vs damp rated.