Tips

Stop bugs from your hanging around your lights with these easy tips

Nov 20, 2016

Summer is the perfect time to sit outside and enjoy a meal in the warm night air or have friends over for a night on the deck, but sometimes it can be ruined by the constant presence of bugs attracted to your lights.

While nobody knows what it is that attracts the bugs to the lights, there are some clever ways you can stop them from flying around and landing in your food.

Before you reach for the fly spray or the bug zapper, try these four easy tips.

1. Citronella candles

No doubt you’ve heard about the effect citronella has on bugs. They can’t stand the scent of citronella oil, which is why burning citronella candles can be a great way to keep the bugs at bay. Just burn a few citronella candles on the perimeter of your outdoor area and you’ll find less bugs hanging around your lights.

2. Install a ceiling fan or use a desk fan

Apparently, if you turn on a fan the bugs will stay away. That’s why installing a ceiling fan on your deck or patio can come in handy. If that’s not an option for you, try bringing a pedestal or desk fan outside. Not only will it stop the bugs from hanging around, it’ll also keep you and any guests you have visiting cool!

3. Yellow lights

It turns out insects are actually attracted to brighter white or blue lights than they are other colours. You can buy yellow (also known as insect) lights in the supermarket. Or you can try using a lower voltage lightbulb that will put out less light for the bugs to be attracted to.

4. Hang a bag of herbs near your light

One of the tips you might not have heard of involves putting herbs in a zip-lock bag with little holes in it and hanging it near your lights. All you need to do is add a pinch of ground cloves, nutmeg, caraway seeds and a bay leaf in a zip-lock bag. Put a fee tiny holes in the bag and then hang it near you light – just make sure you don’t hang it too close! Apparently the bugs will be deterred by the herbs in the bag.