# Dear Sylvania: Your Bug Lights Don't Work
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [February 25, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563 "2007-02-25T01:49:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/1 "2007-02-25T01:49:12Z")
I saw your “bug lights” in the store the other day – you know, the ones that are supposed to be non-attractive to bugs – so I picked up a couple of packs for the lights on my front and rear porches. I have always had a problem with bugs swarming around those lights. So I install them and walk away happy, thinking all my problems are solved. Well, my cat wakes me up around midnight wanting to be fed, so while I’m at it I go out and check up on how the bug lights are doing. So I look out the window and I see that _there are just as many bugs swarming around the bug lights as there were before with the regular lights!_ So, Sylvania, thanks for nothing. I hope you didn’t spend too much money on developing those things. Then again, maybe you should have spent a little more.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/2 "2007-02-25T01:51:52Z")
[QUOTE=Can Handle the Truth]
…I see that _there are just as many bugs swarming around the bug lights as there were before with the regular lights!_
[/QUOTE]
Did you _count_ them? :dubious:
😃
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### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/3 "2007-02-25T01:55:16Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]
Did you _count_ them?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, I did. There were exactly one million.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/4 "2007-02-25T02:08:49Z")
Have you thanked your lucky stars that you didn’t buy the expensive Sylvania [compact fluorescent](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=407902) bug lights yet? You _could_ have been stuck with a product that **A** ) doesn’t work, and **B** ) has a ten year lifetime.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/5 "2007-02-25T02:26:01Z")
I always thought the bug lights were for entertainment purposes only.
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### Author:  [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/6 "2007-02-25T02:36:08Z")
**Qadgop** , doesn’t it kinda make you wish you were somewhere warm enough that you had to worry about bugs outside?
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/7 "2007-02-25T02:38:18Z")
[QUOTE=August West]
**Qadgop** , doesn’t it kinda make you wish you were somewhere warm enough that you had to worry about bugs outside?
[/QUOTE]
Hey, it’s 31 degrees by me now! That rates as warm.
True, the windchill is about -6, and the breeze is right off the lake, and the popping, crashing, and grinding of the ice is quite impressive.
My problem right now (among many) is ants in the basement. Our youngest keeps leaving food down here.
How’s by you, off to the west there?
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### Author:  [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/8 "2007-02-25T02:41:36Z")
Not bad, I plowed the driveway 3 times today to try and keep up with the drifting. All in vain, apparently, because they are predicting ridiculous amounts of snow through Monday.
I can’t imagine what the wind is like right next to the lake. Stay inside and warm!
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/9 "2007-02-25T03:20:32Z")
[QUOTE=August West]
I can’t imagine what the wind is like right next to the lake. Stay inside and warm!
[/QUOTE]
To hell with that! I’m going out in the hot tub! It’s on the deck overlooking the lake! 😃
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### Author:  [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/10 "2007-02-25T03:35:04Z")
Since this is the Pit, I feel comfortable in saying I hate you.
Oh, and Sylvania bug lights?!? BOOOO!
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/11 "2007-02-25T03:49:15Z")
Well, the hot tub lid nearly blew away, and I ended up with sleet _and_ sand encrusted in my hair. The earmuffs nearly blew away too.
I’ve hottubbed when it’s 20 below and that was fun. It may be 50 degrees warmer now, but that 35 mile an hour wind really ruins the fun.
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/12 "2007-02-25T04:09:16Z")
Those yellow lights only work if a white light source is visable. They don’t find yellow as attractive, and head for the white light. I say always go for black light and high voltage. It’s entertaining, and the smell of ozone is wonderful. They die and don’t breed. You haven’t seen a bug zapper until you see and industrial one. I think one could take out a swarm of killer bees.
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### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/13 "2007-02-25T04:33:28Z")
I have a yellow bug light on my porch. Mines seems to be working great not single bug on it.
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### Author:  [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/14 "2007-02-25T16:56:48Z")
Given your location, that’s like weeding in the winter.
(Looks outside to check.) Yup, no weeds in my garden.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/15 "2007-02-25T17:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=boytyperanma]
I have a yellow bug light on my porch. Mines seems to be working great not single bug on it.
[/QUOTE]
OK, now turn it on. 😃
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#):
>
> I saw your “bug lights” in the store the other day – you know, the ones that are supposed to be non-attractive to bugs…
There’s your problem. I always thought they were intended to attract bugs, not repel them. 😃
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### Author:  [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/16 "2007-02-26T19:19:51Z")
[QUOTE=August West]
Since this is the Pit, I feel comfortable in saying I hate you.
Oh, and Sylvania bug lights?!? BOOOO!
[/QUOTE]
Complete hijack…I just noticed our locations are exactly one letter apart.
Oh, and I noticed the yellow bug lights int he store, too. I think you forgot to install the electric fence around them, then all the bugs just get killed.
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### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/17 "2007-02-26T22:27:14Z")
[QUOTE=pantom]
Given your location, that’s like weeding in the winter.
(Looks outside to check.) Yup, no weeds in my garden.
[/QUOTE]
Yep no weeds in my gardens either. My grass is at a perfect height. My bushes are all under control. Thinking about these things now I really like the winter. The only yard work I have to do is shovel my driveway.
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### Author:  [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)
#### Post date: [February 27, 2007, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-sylvania-your-bug-lights-dont-work/393563/18 "2007-02-27T05:26:45Z")
[QUOTE=Can Handle the Truth]
I saw your “bug lights” in the store the other day – you know, the ones that are supposed to be non-attractive to bugs – so I picked up a couple of packs for the lights on my front and rear porches.
[/QUOTE]
Bug lights? We told you to pick up BUD LIGHTS!
:smack: