How To Keep Wasps Out of Outdoor Light Fixtures

Everyone wants to have a beautiful house. And one of the areas people focus on is their outdoor aesthetics.

It’s the first thing your guests and friends will see before entering your home. So, it’s a must to make an effort to beautify your outdoor areas. And the best way is to use light fixtures.

Most designers will tell you that lighting can improve your home’s landscape and architectural features, especially at night. The problem is that bugs like wasps get attracted by your light fixtures, which can be annoying and frustrating.

Fortunately, this article will tell you how to keep wasps out of outdoor light fixtures.

If wasps keep getting into your light fixtures, the methods below should help keep them away.

10 Ways To Keep Wasps Out of Outdoor Light Fixtures

Lighting makes everything pleasing to look at, especially your outdoor areas.

But they can also attract unwanted guests like wasps, which can ruin gatherings.

If that is a problem in your home, below are 10 ways to keep wasps out of outdoor light fixtures.

1. Switch Out Your Lights

The best way to repel wasps from light fixtures is to switch lights.

Most people use incandescent bulbs for their light fixtures, which emit plenty of heat that attracts insects.

So, it would be best to use LED lights, which emit the same amount of light, but less heat, drastically decreasing the number of bugs to outdoor lights.

2. Change to a Yellow Bulb

Another way to repel bugs from outdoor light fixtures is to use “bug” bulbs.

It is a type of bulb that produces yellow light in a wide spectrum which repels insects by emitting the greatest amount of visible light, making your light fixtures almost invisible to insects.

Although yellow lightbulbs are great at repelling wasps and other insects, it’s not the most attractive lights to put in your outdoor area.

Most people like to use other colors of lights to make their outdoor area pop. But don’t worry. There are other options below:

3. Use Bug Zappers

You can also use bug zappers to keep bugs out of outdoor light fixtures. Zappers are very effective in keeping wasps out of your outdoor lights.

But, as appealing as bug zappers are, they have a few drawbacks. You’ll have plenty of insect corpses. And the smell of burnt insects is not pleasant.

4. Install a Ceiling Fan

If your outdoor areas have a ceiling or an overhang, hanging a few ceiling fans should keep the wasps away from you and your outdoor lights.

Not only will they blow away insects and other flying critters, but they’ll also make the area cooler, especially during summer.

5. Light Some Candles

It may be hard to believe, but you can repel wasps with candles. You must light the candles near your outdoor lights and watch as bugs disappear.

Citronella-scented candles are the best for keeping insects away. But other options like rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus, and peppermint work well, too.

But as great as candles sound, they don’t work well as a long-term solution. Not only are they a fire hazard, but they can also be quite expensive. Also, if it’s windy, the candles will be blown out by the wind.

6. Add Some Insect Repelling Plants

If you didn’t know, insects, like wasps, hate certain fragrances found in typical plants.

If you plant them around your property, you will decrease the insect population swarming your outdoor lights.

There are plenty of insect-repelling plants. Some of them are:

• Citronella grass
• Mint
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Lemon balm
• Basil
• Bay leaves
• Thyme
• Lavender Mint

7. Hang Spice Pouches

If you don’t have a green thumb, you can repel wasps from your outdoor lights with spice pouches.

You can use coffee filters or buy some in the store. Fill them with rosemary, thyme, mint, catnip, or bay leaves.

Then hang them near your light fixtures. These pouches will help repel bugs that will typically come near your lights.

8. Spray Your Outdoor Areas With Insect Repellents

You can find plenty of essential oils that can repel insects like wasps online and in stores.

All you’ll need to do is add 10 drops of essential oils and a small dish soap in a spray bottle. Mix the solution with water and spray your outdoor area and light fixtures.

Some of the oils you can use are lavender, mint, lemongrass, citronella, and rosemary.

This method will also make your outdoor area smell more pleasant.

The only drawback is you’ll need to reapply the solution once or twice a week to ensure the bugs will not come.

9. Turn Off Your Light Fixtures

The simplest way to ensure no wasps come to your outdoor light fixture is to turn them off.

If you are not using the lights, there’s no point in keeping them on.

It’s not a permanent solution, but it will help deter wasps from your lights and outdoor areas, especially if you are hosting an outdoor function.

10. Get Rid of Standing Water

If you have standing water on your property, you’ll attract more bugs to your outdoor lights.

If you remove them, you will notice a drastic decrease in the insect population in your vicinity.

Some areas where you will find standing water are birdbaths, water bowls, ponds, and outdoor fountains.

Take some time to check other places and eliminate the water sources. This will help in repelling wasps and other bugs from your outdoor lights.

Conclusion

Lighting is essential in your outdoor areas. Not only will it add security, but it will also improve your home’s outdoor aesthetics. However, lights can also attract wasps and other flying insects.

Fortunately, there are methods to repel them from lights, like using bug bulbs, installing ceiling fans, and spraying insect repellents.

So, if you know anyone who doesn’t know how to keep wasps out of outdoor light fixtures, sharing this article should help.