Did you know lighting your front porch is one of the most effective ways to keep bugs away? It’s true! The combination of darkness, heat, and CO2 lures creepy crawlers right into our homes. Do you want to skip the chemicals and traps this year? Here are some tips on how to keep bugs away from your porch light.
How To Keep Bugs Away From Your Porch Light?
Change your light bulb
What kind of light bulbs are you currently using on your porch? If they’re incandescent bulbs, they’re going to be attracting more insects than they repel. If you’re looking to keep bugs away from your porch light, you might want to switch from incandescent to CFL or LED bulbs. Heavy-duty outdoor lights are also a good option, though they may be slightly more expensive than normal bulbs. If you’d like even more options, you can also try installing solar lights that don’t require any special wiring. These might be a good option if you’re renting or just don’t want to deal with any extra installation.
Make your porch off-limits to pests
If insects are just walking up to your porch, it’s definitely not off-limits. You may want to consider putting down wooden boards or special outdoor fabrics to make your porch less inviting to pests. If you have a wooden porch, you can also try coating it with a sealant to prevent pests from being able to chew through it. If you have a screen door, it may also be worth doing a quick repair to keep out any pests that may have made their way into the frame. If your porch is made of an attractive material like wood, you can also try coating it with a repellent stain like an oil-based paint. This will make it less attractive to bugs.
Spray natural repellents
If you’re looking for an easy way to keep bugs away from your porch light, you may want to spray down the area with natural repellents. Spray insecticides, like Raid, can be effective ways to keep pests from congregating, though they may be dangerous to use around children and pets. You can also use natural alternatives, like essential oils, which are more safe and more humane ways to keep pests away.
Install mesh screens on windows and doors
If pests have already made their way inside, you may want to consider installing mesh screens over any open windows and doors. If you have a screen door, you can clip the mesh over the door to prevent insects from getting inside. If there are any open windows, you can also try using mesh barriers to keep out the bugs. These barriers can be purchased at many hardware stores and can be installed pretty easily.
Install rock salt lamps
Rock salt lights are a unique way to not only create a beautiful lighting effect but also to keep pests away. If you have a porch light that attracts a lot of bugs, these lights are a great way to keep them away from your porch. Rock salt lights can be a bit pricey, especially if you want a really high-end light. However, they can be purchased at a relatively cheap price at most hardware stores. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can also try purchasing rock salt at the grocery store and putting it in a bowl.
Easy Ways To Keep Bugs Away From Your Porch Light
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Keep your porch clean. Piles of leaves and other debris are like magnets for bugs.
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Vacuum your porch regularly.
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Keep your porch furniture clean and free of dust.
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Invest in a bug zapper.
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Try citronella candles.
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Turn your porch light on earlier.
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Close your windows at night.
Chemical-Free Way To Keep Bugs Away From Your Porch Light
Keep your porch light clean and free of dust, which will help repel bugs. Still, have issues? Try this non-toxic solution to keep bugs away from your porch light.
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Mix 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol.
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Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.
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Spray your light, base, and any furniture on your porch regularly.
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Keep the solution in a shaded, clean place.
Tips For Keeping Real Bugs Away From Your Porch Light
Change the Batteries
If you want to keep the bugs away, you first have to ask yourself – what are bugs? Insects. And how do insects move around? They fly. And how do they fly? They use light to do so. The more light there is, the more they’re able to move and be active. The more light there is, the more attractive your porch light will be to real bugs. Therefore, one way to keep them away is by changing the porch light batteries as soon as you see signs of them running low. This will reduce the amount of light emitting from your porch and thus reduce the number of insects flying toward your light fixture. Batteries that almost dead emit much less light than fully charged ones. Therefore, if you change the batteries when they’re still partially full, you’ll still get ample light while keeping real bugs away from your porch light.
Install Motion-Activated Lights
One of the easiest ways to reduce the attractiveness of your porch light for real bugs is to install motion-activated lights. These lights will only turn on when someone walks by. This way, you’ll save electricity and avoid illuminating your porch unnecessarily, while also preventing nuisance insects from getting too close to your light source. Cockroaches, bugs, and other pests seem to be terrified of the movement themselves. Therefore, they move away as quickly as possible, often to the nearest hiding spot. Some insect pests like mosquitoes are also repelled by water, which is why some people prefer installing water-spray systems to keep real bugs away from their porch light.
Use Yellow Light Bulbs
Bulbs can make a massive difference when it comes to keeping real bugs away from your porch light. While incandescent and halogen bulbs are great for providing ambient light that’s perfect for illuminating an area, they also emit a lot of UV light. UV light is very attractive to insects, so it’s best to avoid using bulbs that emit a lot of UV light. Instead, you should opt for CFL and LED bulbs, which emit much less UV light than incandescent and halogen bulbs. You can even choose to use yellow bulbs instead of white bulbs, which are even less attractive to real bugs. While the yellow light produced by such bulbs is noticeably less bright than white light, it also doesn’t attract as many insects.
Install UV Light Covers
Along with changing your light bulbs, you can also install UV light covers over your existing light bulbs. This way, insects won’t be able to see your light as clearly and will be less attracted to it. Unfortunately, these covers don’t seem to work with LED and CFL bulbs, so if you’re already using them, you’ll need to replace them with incandescent bulbs. While this may seem like a big hassle, keep in mind that insects are only a problem for a few months per year. Using incandescent bulbs for a few months is a much better long-term solution than always having to deal with real bugs around your porch light, no matter what type of bulb you use.
Try Out Different Installation Styles
Another way to keep real bugs away from your porch light is to change its installation style. Some installation styles are simply more attractive to insects than others. You can try a few different styles and see which ones are most effective at keeping real bugs away from your porch light. Some examples of installation styles that can help keep real bugs away from your porch light include mounting your light to a wall, placing it above your door, or suspending it in mid-air. You can also try mounting your light lower if it’s currently too high up.
Conclusion
Regardless of when you need it, an outdoor porch light can provide safety and security while also serving as a decorative piece. The best one for you depends on several factors, including the types of features you’re looking for, the amount of money you’re willing to spend, and the type of light you want to use. If you want to keep bugs away from your porch light and home, protect your porch light and home from pesky pests.
