When you’re outdoors at night, it’s not exactly well-lit. And that’s why having a porch light is so helpful, it ensures that you can relax on your porch at night and still be able to see what’s around you.
But the relaxation can easily turn into frustration if one of the things you see is a swarm of bugs around that very porch light! Not only is it annoying, but certain types of insects such as mosquitos can leave you with itchy bites as well. And sometimes the bugs will migrate from your porch light straight into your home.
So to help you avoid all of those potential issues… Today we’re going to be teaching you what you can do to keep insects away from you and your porch light. Then you can finally enjoy your night in peace.
Deterring Bugs From Your Porch Light
Steps that you can take to reduce the amounts of insects hanging around your porch light will vary. And some of them will definitely take more effort than others, but you can choose to employ one or more of them depending on how determined you are to rid yourself of your bug problem.
If we were to summarize the things we’re going to discuss today, it would look something like this…
- There are natural solutions for repelling insects from your porch light, such as cleaning with vinegar, placing certain plants around the area, and reducing the water present.
- But there are also more modern solutions, like buying a bug zapper or purchasing an LED light.
Now let’s take a close look at the solutions we just mentioned. Starting with…
Natural Ways To Keep Bugs Away From Your Porch Light
There are three main things you can do to keep bugs away from your porch light without using any devices or chemicals!
Place Some Plants Around The Area
This is a solution that you could definitely go wild with, or keep more contained. You could either landscape around your porch with plants that deter bugs, or just place a few potted plants on your porch. Landscaping would probably be on a much larger scale, and cost considerably more than just using some potted plants though.
Either way, you still need to know the plants that will repel insects. So here they are…
- Peppermint
- Lavender
- Basil
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Fennel
- Thyme
- Parsley
Obviously just one of these plants has the potential to keep insects at bay, but you may want multiple different ones for more variety. Since many of them are herbs, you could start a mini herb garden on your porch if you’re interested in gardening!
Clean Your Porch, Especially With Vinegar
Anything that bugs would think of as a source of food is going to draw them to an area. So if you have pet bowls full of food, crumbs from a picnic, or spills from drinks on your porch then insects are going to be around a lot more.
To fix this issue, you need to make sure to sweep off your porch and wipe down surfaces as well. Ideally you would be cleaning your porch with something like vinegar, since the scent of vinegar will actually deter many types of bugs.
Get Rid Of Any Standing Water Nearby
Mosquitos in particular, but bugs in general, will be attracted to standing water. And mosquitos will actually lay their eggs in this water, so it can quite literally be a breeding ground for unwanted insects.
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Examples of standing water would be things like bird baths, ponds, rain barrels, or even your pet’s water bowl.
The solution will obviously vary depending on what type of standing water source you have near your porch, but if the insect problem is getting out of control then you need to consider ways to get rid of that water.
- If you have bird baths, then you may want to get rid of them.
- Full rain barrels or other items collecting water should be tipped over.
- Your pet’s water bowl should either be moved indoors or away from the porch.
- Fountains can be switched to running fountains.
- And you could add koi fish to your pond, since they eat mosquito larvae.
Products That Will Keep Bugs Away From Your Porch Light
In addition to natural remedies that will keep unwanted bugs from your porch, there are also some products that you can buy which can help with the process too. Just keep in mind that these products aren’t guaranteed to work, and you might have to use some of the ideas in addition to them.
A Different Lightbulb
The reason that bugs swarm lightbulbs is because they’re attracted to the light and also the warmth. But you can choose a lightbulb that will repel these pests instead of entice them in.
Try an LED bulb if you aren’t using one already, these don’t emit much heat and bugs won’t be as attracted. If you’re willing to take it a step further then you could buy a yellow or red LED light, since those colors impair insect’s vision.
A Bug Zapper
There are a lot of variations of the bug zapper, but in short, you’re looking for a device that will tempt bugs into their own death. One of the most popular products is a light that will attract bugs, and then electrocute them.
This can be a little unpleasant though, because you hear every time a bug is zapped. Plus you’ll eventually have to clean up the dead insects.
Conclusion
There are many different ways to not only keep from enticing bugs to your porch, but to actually repel them as well. All of these tips are fairly budget friendly, and there’s something here for everyone whether you want to go the natural route or not.
Hopefully you enjoyed this article, and gained some valuable information from it!
