UVB Full Spectrum Light

[ParrotsForLife]

Does anybody know if these Light bulbs are safe for humans if you were to put it on the ceiling?

[Wolf]

There are many different full spectrum lights on the market, but generally speaking the ones that are safe for your birds ( CRI of 94+, K Temp of 5000 to 5500) should not cause any problems for a human.

[ParrotsForLife]

There are many different full spectrum lights on the market, but generally speaking the ones that are safe for your birds ( CRI of 94+, K Temp of 5000 to 5500) should not cause any problems for a human.

Ok thanks.I was doing some reading on them and it said they can cause Cancer and other things.

[Wolf]

Well I would not argue with a scientific paper showing that they are harmful to humans. Full spectrum lighting is used for reptiles and those lights are much to strong for a bird and can actually burn the bird to death in a relatively short time. This is because of the strength of the UV light they put out. UV light is what gives you a sunburn when you over expose yourself to the sun and that can indeed cause cancer in humans. Full spectrum lights are also used by artists to get a truer color value when they are painting pictures. It all depends on the strength of the UV light output as well as the length of exposure. If you use the lights that we recommend ( CRI 94+ and K Temp of 5000 to 5500) the UV output should be 2 or less. The wattage of the bulb might also influence this but I have not found much information on this. I no longer have the box that mine came in or the receipt but because I was concerned about the wattage as well as the CRI, K Temp and UV output, I decided to not get more than a 30 watt bulb. It still puts out as much light as a 100 watt regular light bulb, at least to my eyes. I have never had a sunburn from my bulb and my birds have not had any problems with it either. I wonder if what you were reading was in reference to the UV lights that are used in tanning beds? I do know that those lights seriously increase the chances of cancer in humans.

[ParrotsForLife]

Its a UVB bulb 25 watt you can also get a lamp for it which goes beside the cage.I believe its called Avian UVB full spectrum lamp.

[Wolf]

After having seen the pictures from a cockatoo named Rosie that was burned badly by a full spectrum bulb that was made for reptiles and then marketed for birds, I am extremely careful with them, Rosie's owner managed to save her life but it took many thousands of dollars as well as months of care. I do not place any full spectrum bulb closer than three feet to my birds, I keep the wattage low and only use ones with the correct CRI and K Temp, many of these bulbs don't tell you what the UV output is but if you can find it keep it to 2 or less.

[Navre]

I'm still confused about this issue.

I have an Avian Sun 5.0 UVB Full Spectrum bulb. It says it's made for birds, but it also warns that it must be placed directly above the bird. If it's to the side of a bird, it can cause eye problems. Well, directly over one bird is to the side of another bird. Plus, when it was placed above Nick's cage, he turns his head sideways and looks directly at it. And my birds are t confined and stationary. There is no place that is always directly above the birds. I decided not to use that.

I have a couple of Dr Mercola healthy home full spectrum CFLs in the ceiling fixture where the birds are. It's in the center of the room, it's maybe a dozen feet from them, or more. I worry about eye damage and I wonder if it's any good to them, being so far away.

I've just been leaving the light off, and giving them just the daylight through the windows.

[Pajarita]

I looked and looked and looked and could not find the CRI or Ktemp of this avian light bulb so I emailed the manufacturer asking for them BUT, regardless of what they respond, I would not use any kind of lamp that produces UV close to my birds. I only put them in ceiling fixtures. The reason why they tell you to put them close to the bird and right overhead is because they advertise them as a light that allows the bird to produce its own vit D3 and the only way to achieve this with an artificial light is for it to be super close to the body but I rather gave them a supplement than risk them getting eye damage or burns from them. I'll let you know what they answer on the CRI and Ktemp on this light.

[Navre]

I'm just trying to figure out if the reward is worth the risk. So far it seems like it's not

[ParrotsForLife]

Are there any UV lights you can buy that go on the ceiling?