You might try to have a lovely relaxing night out on the porch but pesky insects will stop your plans in their tracks. These insects are ready to bite and attack at any minute. I tried to figure out how one can reduce the number of insects around my door and windows at night. I looked this up and this is what I found.
There are various commercial and natural ways to prevent and stop pests from accumulating on your porch. A combination of these methods will work best. For quick tips I would suggest turning porch lights on later on in the evening, burning citronella candles during the night-time and using a bug zapper as extra protection. If this issue persists I suggest calling an exterminator especially if there’s an overwhelmingly large number of bugs
Keep patio clean
First and foremost keeping a clean patio is the best solution to ensure that it stays bug free. Bugs are attracted to liquids and food that might have been spilt. Clean you porch regularly as even the smallest of substances can be a siren call for bugs. Sweep and mop away any food and drink items in good time
Keep unnecessary lights off at night
Firstly you can turn off lights that you are not using, light attract insects. The simplest way to minimize the amount of insects is to keep the area as dark as possible.
You can also install a sensor for the porch lights, lights will switch on when people are in the area and automatically switch off when people leave.
Change to yellow lights
The color of light that you’re using might be not conducive to keeping bugs at bay. One of the simplest and cheapest solutions is switching the color of your lights. Switching to a different light, such as tinted bulbs can be used to repel insects. The highest wavelength on the visible spectrum is the color yellow, this makes it hard for bugs to see, because of this they will not be attracted to it and will fly right past it.
A good and similar idea would be to line the light fixtures with a yellow colored cellophane to get the same affect. This method can be used if you don’t mind a yellow hue cast on your house, this might be worth it to keep the insects away.
Change to led lights
If you prefer not to change to yellow light and or would not like a yellow hue cast on your house you can use an LED device rather. LED bulbs emit less heat than ordinary bulbs, the color that the bulbs produces is not attractive to insects. Insects are put off by the clean white color of these LED lights.
These lights can be found at a regular hardware store or online. These lights demand a higher price so you might not want to replace all your lights in order to save on costs. You can rather replace the lights at entrances, exits and windows thus preventing mosquitoes from entering
Candles also help
For a more natural and possibly romantic option candles are effective when trying to ward off insects. You can arrange your candles on your porch, close to the door, window or a railing directly below the porch light. The insects will be attracted to the porch light but won’t come because of the candle.
These candles should contain very strong-smelling oils such as peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, citronella and rosemary. Citronella candles are among the best to use as they are the most effective.
Bug zappers
For an electric way to get rid of insects is the tried and tested bug zapper. They are an effective way to combat flying insects. The idea is simple: the allure of the lights attracts insects to the zapper, as they come closer and touch the core they are electrocuted and burnt to a crisp. There is no risk of fire.
If you don’t like the sound of electricity buzzing this might not be the option for you. This is still a good option if you want to kill insects at mass.
Ceiling fan
A more humane way to ensure that bugs do not pester you is to install an outdoor ceiling fan. This can be installed if you have an overhang above your porch. Ceiling fans limit the number of flying insects humanely by blowing wind making it difficult for insects to fly.
This is particularly a great option in hot climates where you would like the outside environment to be cool during the summer nights. An added bonus is that this solution disperses carbon dioxide which is an attractant to insects. In reducing the amount of carbon dioxide you can reduce the amount of insects attracted to you.
Pungent smiles around the porch
There are various strong smells that bugs will be repelled by. You can hang pouches of these spices around your porch to repel insects. An option is to fill coffee filters or cheesecloth with these herbs. Herbs which can be used are cinnamon, lemongrass, lavender, citrus zest, garlic, basil and mint.
You can create a feature out of it or hang it in an inconspicuous location, for example under the eaves of your roof. When pests start to smell the pungent sell they won’t come near your porch. To keep the strong scent I recommend changing the spices every few days to prevent them from losing their potency.
Spray the area.
A herbal infusion can be sprayed on the porch to deter bugs. Mix a small amount of soap, water and essential oils. You can use lavender, rosemary oil or thyme as the essential oil. Store in a bottle and spray as desired. Be sure not to accidentally spray on exposed wiring or electric light switches.
Insects are more prominent during the hotter seasons so make sure to spray your porch, windows and doors more than once a day when it’s hot. If you prefer you can make a wearable repellent for your skin, make sure to use a carrier oil such as coconut oil or olive oil with your essential oils when applying to the skin.
Add a screen to your porch
A screen can be added to your porch to prevent insects entering. The screen is usually a transparent mesh and this can be a long-term and full-time barrier. When picking the screen make sure the holes are small enough to prevent even the tiniest of insects from entering.
A contractor my charger a couple of hundred dollars for a single afternoons work and a screen. A cheaper option is to do it yourself and use it DIY system. Note: If you accidentally leave the screen door open this enables insects to enter so I recommend using this as well as another preventative measure.
Hang a birdhouse nearby
You can naturally attract insect population regulators to your area by mounting a birdhouse nearby. Leave a little bit of fruit or seeds in the birdhouse. Don’t refill when it’s eaten, when insects accumulate in the area the birds will eat them allowing nature to take its course and leaving you pretty much insect-free.
Some great birdhouses can be found online or at garden supply stores. Be sure to avoid leaving the birdhouse too close to your entrances as a bird may enter your house.
Remove standing water and stagnant water
Standing water attracts insects as they also need water to drink and lay eggs in. If you have a mosquito problem this is a particularly important tip. I recommended that you drain all bodies of water in front of your porch.
You can add a channel drain to get the water away from your house. If the area you are in is very wet you can fill areas with gravel or sand thus allowing water to trickle down this mixture into groundwater level.
Grow pest deterring flowers.
If you would like an aesthetic solution to your problem and option is to grow insect deterring flowers in pots and place them around doors, windows and on the porch.
This is a good option to use around your patio, doors and windows as this is a beautiful addition as well as a good solution to ward off mosquitoes and other pests. Herbs such as mint, eucalyptus and rosemary can be used.
If you would like to know what products will keep pests away and kill them off click this link.
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