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Surefire Ways to Keep Insects off of Your Porch or Deck

Have you ever had one of those beautiful spring or summer afternoons on your porch or deck, only to have it ruined by insects? Well, there are several things you can do to keep those pesky insects off of your porch and most of it won’t cost you a thing!

Clean

You’d be surprised at the difference a little light cleaning could do. Make sure you get rid of anything that might be attracting insects to your porch or deck—items like stray bits of food (yes, even pet food) or a varying degree of potted plants.

Keep Trash and Recycling Away

If you live in the city, make sure your recycling and trash bins are located as far away from your porch and deck as possible. If you simply can’t help this, make sure the lids or on tight and that no stray bits of garbage have found their way out of the trash.

Keep an Eye Out for Standing Water

Whether its rain water that has collected at the edge of your porch or a stray bit of water that somehow got into the decorative pail on your porch when you watered the flowers, standing water is a hotbed for insects. Standing water is known for attracting mosquitos in particular and is often used as a breeding ground of sorts. If you have some sort of decorative item that uses water, you can still use this, but try using a pump that will keep bubbles aggravating the surface of the water, as it frightens insects away.

Use Repellent Materials

Very few bug-repellant chemicals do what they say, but anything with citronella is a  sure way to keep the insects off of your porch. Maybe a basic citronella candle is the way to go…or maybe you want something a little more prominent, like tiki-torches or oil lamps with citronella lamp oil.

Speaking of citronella, there is also the possibility of planting citronella grass. Other plants that act as insect repellent include marigolds and rosemary.

Any of these will help keep the insects away, allowing you to enjoy your porch and deck as it was intended!