People go to great lengths to perfect their backyard. From pools to gazebos to outdoor solar lighting, getting the aesthetic just right takes a lot of effort…and money.
Animals, birds, and bugs have probably noticed your lovely yard too and that might get you wondering if they were attracted by your solar lighting. While birds, lizards, and squirrels might be welcome critters to your property, bugs probably aren’t. Aside from providing mood lighting to your yard, your solar lights are likely pulling double duty attracting some animals to your yard while deterring others.
Do Solar Lights Affect Animals?
Different animals will have different reactions to solar lighting. Bugs, insects, and lizards are usually attracted to light since they provide warmth. Birds tend to avoid them since they are either on the ground or connected to posts. Mammals scare easily and may run off if the lights come on suddenly.
That’s the broad answer but, like animals, their is more nuance and diversity to the answer that I want to dive in to.
When planning your outdoor solar lighting one thing you should consider is if you want to attract or repel certain animals and if so which lights will provide the results that you want.
Do Solar Lights Attract Insects?
Insects are attracted to light naturally because it provides warmth, but they’re also drawn to solar lights more than other types of lighting. This is because the colors emitted by these lamps tend towards a yellow-green hue which looks very similar to the sun in their eyes.
Most people don’t want excessive bugs in their yards…especially around flower and vegetable gardens…so you may want to consider solar lights that produce blue or purple light which insects avoid.
Do Solar Lights Attract Birds?
Birds tend to avoid artificial lighting because it can interfere with their natural navigation systems, but if you’re using a motion sensor then the light will only turn on when the bird approaches, possibly not giving them enough time to react.
If you want your yard free of birds without having to spend the time and money on bird netting, you may want to invest in solar lights that produce red light. Birds will avoid red lighting because it resembles a predator’s eyeshine which many birds perceive as an attack signal.
Do Solar Lights Attract Lizards?
Lizards are drawn to light sources largely due to the heat that they produce. If you want to encourage lizards but deter other animals then lights with orange and yellow wavelengths would be your best bet.
Many people like having a few lizards call their yards home. Aside from being beautiful, fascinating creatures, they will help keep the bug population down.
But even lizards can become a nuisance so in order to lizards and other desert dwellers out of your yard, then use lights with ultraviolet wavelengths which will keep them away because their eyes don’t react well to UV rays.
Do Solar Lights Attract Cats?
Cats are natural hunters which means that they’re drawn to lights with infrared wavelengths. Infrared light is invisible to the human eye but cats have heat-sensitive cells in their eyes called “tapetum lucidum.”
Cats do their best hunting in the dark and may mistake the heat signature of some solar lighting for their prey.
If you want a cat-free yard then try investing in solar lights that produce red light or ultraviolet wavelength. Cats will avoid these types of lights because their eyes don’t react well to the wavelengths.
You might want to invest in solar lights that have an infrared wavelength. Cats will avoid these lights because the heat feels like other cats are nearby and they won’t have any cover for hiding and hunting.
Cats usually don’t like other cats so they will be deterred by a light that resembles the eyeshine of another cat. A good way to provide this type of light is with blue or white lights which cats dislike as it makes them feel insecure and vulnerable.
Will Solar Lights Deter Raccoons?
Raccoons can be a nuisance so using solar lights that produce ultraviolet wavelengths or use extra bright LEDs is a good way to deter them from your yard. This, combined with non-harmful methods such as spreading hot sauce around key areas of your yard can be a great way to keep them out of your yard.
Ultraviolet wavelengths mimic predators’ eyeshine and will cause raccoons to feel vulnerable so they’ll be too scared to come close.
Since raccoons are nocturnal creatures, lighting that can make your yard shine as if it were daytime will likely work to deter raccoons from entering your yard and getting into things like your garbage cans or any pet food that may be stored outside.
Of course, no method is perfect and raccoons have proven to be more difficult to deter with solar lighting than other animals so you’ll likely want to combine solar lighting with other, non-harmful methods of an animal deterrent to ensure these critters move on to the neighbor’s yard when they’re up to trouble.
Will Solar Lights Deter Deer?
If you want deer out of your yard then it’s best to invest in solar lights with ultraviolet wavelengths which will make them feel vulnerable by mimicking predators’ eyeshine and deter them from coming too close to your yard.
Deer can be a problem for homeowners. Deer are drawn to natural light because they’re primarily nocturnal and don’t have the vision of humans or other animals that hunt during the day.
Of course, no method is perfect so you’ll probably want to combine solar lighting with other methods of animal deterrents like fencing or planting the most deer-deterrent plants in your garden.
What Are Predator Deterrent Solar Lights?
Predator Deterrent Lights are lights that mimic the eyeshine of a predator. When this type of light shines on an animal it will think there’s another, bigger animal nearby and be too scared to come close or stay in your yard any longer.
There are three different types of Predator Light:
- Ultraviolet Wavelengths – This type of light mimics the eyeshine of a predator and will scare animals like lizards, cats, or raccoons because their eyes don’t react well to UV rays.
- Red Light – This type of light is in the infrared spectrum which animals have trouble seeing and are drawn to because they’re primarily nocturnal creatures.
- Blue Light – This type of light is in the infrared spectrum which animals have trouble seeing and are drawn to because they’re primarily nocturnal creatures.
How Much Do Predator Solar Lights Cost?
Predator Lights can cost anywhere from $40 to a few hundred depending on which brands you’re looking at or which animals you’d like them to deter.
On the cheaper end of the spectrum, you have the Lycoming Solar Predator Light. These are designed to deter coyotes, deer, skunks, and raccoons. They are waterproof and easy to mount…ideally near a garden or chicken coop. They produce a flashing red light that mimics the blinking and eyeshine of predators.
A more expensive option is the Nite Guard Solar Predator Control Light. These claim to be a deterring solar light for all predators while still being perfectly safe for people and pets. They even include instructions on how to set up multiple devices to keep deer away.
Final Thoughts
Solar lights can be used to deter animals from entering your yard. The best method is choosing a light that will produce the wavelengths which the animal avoids but you may also want to consider what type of solar light would work in terms of heat, cost, and brightness for your specific needs.
You may want to consider solar deterrent lights which are specifically designed to keep certain animals away. Combining solar lighting with other, non-harmful methods of deterring animals can help you keep your yard free of pesky creatures.