During certain times of the year, there are going to be a lot of different bugs outside. Sometimes you might notice that bugs will gravitate to your porch, and you might find a ton on your porch ceiling.
This can be a nuisance because you don’t want to have to deal with a bunch of bugs every single time that you go outside. If you are getting annoyed by feeling as though you have to walk through hordes of bugs when passing through your porch area, then you might need a solution.
What can you do to keep bugs off of your porch ceiling? Is there something that can scare them away or get rid of them reliably?
Keep reading to get all of the important information about keeping bugs off of your porch. You’ll be able to get bugs off of your porch ceiling and you won’t have to feel so assaulted by bugs every time you step on the porch moving forward.
1 – Consider Using Candles
A very good and inexpensive way to keep bugs off of your porch ceiling is to use citronella candles. These handy little candles can be lit outside and will often be able to keep bugs at bay.
Various types of bugs dislike the scent of these citronella candles, and they’ll want to stay away from areas where they’re located. Just placing a few citronella candles on your porch might be enough to keep bugs at bay.
If you have a large porch, then it might be wise to use more than one citronella candle. You can use two or three if you think that it’s necessary, but one candle might be enough for a small porch.
You should notice that you’ll have fewer bugs around, and you might even keep bugs away from your porch completely. This is something that you should try right away since the candles are cost-effective and so easy to use.
2 – The Bug Zapper
You’ve probably seen one or two people who own bug zappers during your lifetime. These are fairly common in certain parts of America, and the light is designed to attract bugs to the zapper.
When bugs come into contact with the zapper, it’s going to electrocute them and kill them instantly. It’s a pretty gruesome thing to think about, but most people have no remorse for bugs.
If you wish to kill the bugs that are congregating on your porch, then placing a bug zapper near your porch ceiling makes a lot of sense. You’ll likely kill a lot of bugs this way, and there will be far fewer around to bother you moving forward.
These bug zappers aren’t all that expensive when you look into it either. You can get one of these at a reasonable price, and you’ll be happy to have fewer bugs on the porch when you need to use it.
3 – Flypaper
Flypaper is another thing that people put on their porches when they’re having bug problems. You see, this flypaper is going to trap bugs that come into contact with it.
Once bugs touch the flypaper, they won’t be able to move, and they’ll eventually die after enough time has passed. This stuff works really well, but it might not be an ideal solution for your porch depending on your sensibilities.
The big issue here is that flypaper doesn’t exactly look very nice. Most people want to ensure that their porch areas look as presentable as possible, and you might consider flypaper to be an eyesore.
If this doesn’t bother you, then it could be helpful to use flypaper on your porch. You could even use it in conjunction with a bug zapper.
4 – Spraying Peppermint or Vinegar Water
Are you interested in finding a natural way to repel bugs on your porch? Well, spraying some peppermint water or vinegar water might just do the trick.
These types of natural repellents are good at keeping spiders away. If the bugs that you’re worried about are spiders, then this might be more useful than using bug zappers or flypaper.
It’s also nice that it doesn’t really cost you much of anything to mix up a spray such as this. Just make a spray using equal parts vinegar and water to get started.
The only downside is that you might not enjoy smelling vinegar or peppermint on your porch. It could be a small price to pay for not having to worry about bugs on the porch, though.
5 – Install Porch Screens
Installing porch screens will keep bugs from being able to enter the porch area. You can certainly prevent bugs from getting on your porch if you install screens, but this will cost you some cash.
Being able to install screens will be nice in many ways. You’ll be able to sit on your porch to enjoy the breeze without needing to worry about being assaulted by bugs.
This is going to be more practical if your porch is built in certain ways. To get this to work, you might need to modify your porch so that it can be closed off by screens, but it’s up to you to decide if that’s practical or not.
6 – Spray Insecticides
Spraying insecticides can help you to get rid of bugs in the area very easily. If you’re worried about having to deal with bugs on your porch, then you could buy various sprays that can get rid of the pests.
The good thing about many of these insecticides is that they will keep bugs away for a good while. Some of them will have lingering effects that will keep bugs from coming near for weeks or months at a time.
You can buy commercial bug sprays at retail stores or online marketplaces. It’s also possible to call local pest control services to get them to spray your porch for you.
If you have a particularly bad bug problem, then this might be the best way to solve it. You can get rid of all sorts of bugs using chemical sprays, and they won’t come back for quite some time if you use an insecticide that is powerful enough.
Some people shy away from using insecticides because they don’t like using chemical solutions, but it will work wonders. Consider whether this is the route you want to take and then move forward from there.
7 – Install Bird Feeders
If you’re looking for something outside the box, then consider installing some bird feeders nearby. Birds feed on insects, and having more birds around will lower insect numbers.
When you have fewer bugs to worry about, it’s going to be easier to keep them off of the porch ceiling. Plus, it can be nice to be able to look at the different birds that come out to use the bird feeders.
Do What’s Right for Your Home
Do what’s right for your home so that you can enjoy your porch. Some people will thrive just using citronella candles and natural methods such as vinegar water spray.
Others might need a more professional solution such as spraying insecticide on the porch. Either way, the decision falls on you to decide what’s right.
You don’t have to put up with bugs on your porch. It’s going to be easy to get good results so long as you keep the above advice in mind.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard.