Front Porch View: How To Prevent Porch Light Pests

Porch lights serve a variety of purposes. They act as a beacon for the homeowners returning home after a night out. They provide some visibility for the lingering partygoers at a backyard barbecue. They stay on all night to provide a protective barrier around the front door in the hopes of deterring neighborhood troublemakers. But above all of that, the least ideal purpose they serve is attracting bugs!

We can’t even count the number of times that we’ve seen a giant cloud of flying bugs near a porch light, bouncing off the bulb and seeming like they can’t resist the glow. But why do bugs love artificial lights so much? Let’s explore the reasons why our outdoor lights attract bugs before we dive into the most common porch light pests and how to prevent them.

Why Do Bugs Love The Light?

First and foremost, it’s always a good idea to learn the reasons why something is happening before you find a solution. The bugs that are found around lights are positively phototactic, meaning they are attracted to light. Specifically, they’re drawn to cool-toned lights because bugs can see the UV end of the spectrum. When tiny bugs find themselves near our porch lights, they see it as the largest light source and their key to navigating the night.

There are a few key reasons why certain bugs seem to seek out our porch lights, especially on spring and summer nights. They are:

• Confusion in navigation. Insects, like other animals, use the lights in the sky to navigate this big world. The sun, moon, and stars are their preferred navigational tools due to their large sizes, but porch lights imitate the sun to a group of tiny bugs. They get “stuck” under artificial lights and can’t get far since they can’t see beyond the brightness.

• Warm weather. Insects are already more active in the warm weather because they rely on the heat for their energy levels. The warmer the temperature, the more energetic the pests. Since nocturnal bugs are enjoying their nighttime flights on these temperate nights, they have no problem running into (literally) a porch light that’s illuminating the yard.

• Clear flight path. The worst thing that can happen to a flying bug — besides getting squished by an annoyed human — is accidentally flying straight into a predator’s mouth. That’s exactly why they would rather stay inches away from a porch light. The bright lightbulb shows the insects that there aren’t any roadblocks or enemies in their flight paths.

Now that we know why bugs love our porch lights, it’s time to discuss the main culprits. They don’t commit any crimes (that we know of), but these pests are so annoying that their presence is not missed when the porch light is turned off.

Moths

The most famous porch light pest, moths use the moon to navigate and therefore get confused when they are under a porch light. They see upwards as the safest flight path, so moths naturally go up as they flutter around. Their eyes are more interesting than those of other nocturnal insects. Moths have compound eyes that take longer to adjust to the darkness, about 30 minutes. They would rather stay in the light than be blind in the dark, so moths prefer to stay near the porch light that allows them to see if there are any approaching predators.

Crane Flies

Crane flies, also known as mosquito hawks, are the scary gentle giants of the pest world. They aren’t dangerous to humans or pets, but their large size can make us feel otherwise. Crane flies are attracted to light and heat, so a porch light is irresistible to these strange pests. They also prefer to live near leaves, dead plants, and puddles. Their larvae are pretty destructive since they devour plant roots, but the adults that emerge in the spring are clumsy fliers and don’t do much of anything.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are one of the worst parts of the warmer seasons, so it makes sense that these frustrating pests would also bug us by swarming our lights. Since they’re most active at dusk and dawn, mosquitoes use our porch lights to look for food. The artificial lights prevent them from using their preferred light sources — the moon and stars — to see around their habitat. Most porch lights don’t attract mosquitoes, but they also aren’t repelled by outdoor lights. If bloodthirsty female mosquitoes detect our body heat, there’s no stopping them from seeking us out as their next meal.

House Flies

We typically think of house flies as daytime pests that ruin our backyard parties, but they’re drawn to porch lights more than you’d think. Their eyes are sensitive to the intense UV-A beams in LED lights and therefore prompt house flies to seek out these strong lights. House flies, like moths, also prefer to fly upwards to stay on the safe “high ground.” Since our porch lights are bright enough to reveal any lurking critters of the night, house flies like to stay in close proximity to the light as a security measure.

June Bugs

These beetles are common summer pests because they are extremely active in the warm weather. June bugs are technically not just one type of bug, as the name “June bug” applies to about 100 different types of beetles. They emerge from the soil after eating plant roots, then participate in their mating season from May to June. June bugs are extremely attracted to porch lights, but there’s actually not a clear reason why. We just know that they’re weak fliers (despite their 2 sets of wings) and get tired quickly. That’s why we often see a disgusting amount of belly-up beetles under our porch lights every spring and summer.

How To Keep Pests Away From Your Porch Lights

Instead of striving to eliminate every single pest from your front porch, a more attainable goal is to greatly reduce the pest population there. This way, you’ll be more pleased with the results instead of expecting perfection, which is difficult to attain in the world of DIY pest control. But don’t be discouraged! There are plenty of ways to cut down on the number of bugs hounding your porch lights and give you more time to enjoy your outdoor space.

The most efficient ways to reduce the number of pests around your porch light are:

• Use LED bulbs. The type of bulb you use in the porch light does make a difference, so try to use lightbulbs that don’t attract pests. LED bulbs seem to do a good job of keeping pests away because they’re low-heat. Conversely, incandescent bulbs draw pests in like a magnet because of the heat and brightness.

• Use warm-toned bulbs. To that effect, use warm-toned lightbulbs instead of cool-toned ones. Most insects can’t see warm tones (red, orange, yellow) as well as they can see cool tones (blue and purple). Warm-toned bulbs are also usually energy-efficient, so you’ll be helping the planet and keeping nocturnal bugs away!

• Keep the porch clean. This step applies to every part of the house. The more clutter and debris in an area, the more reason pests have to invade. Clean up any crumbs and spills from each meal enjoyed on the porch, and don’t leave any food or beverage outside for long. Sweep up any natural debris (leaves, dirt, dead bugs, etc.) that covers your porch.

• Plant an herb garden nearby. Herb gardening is a fun activity, but did you know it’s also a great way to repel pests? It’s true! The strong scents are repulsive to many bugs and create a barrier that they don’t want to cross. Some of the most effective herbs are rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, fennel, and basil.

• Turn off the lights. Finally, this one is the most cut-and-dry solution to the problem. If the porch light is turned off, the bugs don’t have a light to swarm! We suggest turning it off when you’re not using it, like when you get up in the morning. If you want to leave it on for long periods of time, don’t use the bright white bulbs that these bugs crave so much.

Go Green This Front Porch Season!

It’s more fun to spend time outside when the weather is nice, but a swarm of bugs around the porch light is an immediate mood-killer. Your local pest experts from Green Pest Services are committed to solving each pest issue with the utmost care and efficiency. We use a combination of thorough inspections, targeted treatments, and professional advice to keep the pests out of our wonderful clients’ homes. Our licensed technicians are happy to address every question and concern you may have along the way, as we want you to feel comfortable with the service. Contact us today to learn more about our efficient services!

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