Using Proper Exterior Lighting to Reduce Insect Infestations

As a resident of Brevard County, you are likely always looking for ways to help keep the insect population inside your home or office building to a minimum. In addition to obvious things such as reducing food supply, sealing up cracks and gaps in the building where insects may gain entry, and keeping the place free of clutter—an ideal hiding and breeding spot for insects—you can do some things with the exterior of the building to help out, too.

Check Your Lighting
There are two main mistakes that people frequently make with exterior lighting. One has to do with the actual placement of the lighting, and the other has to do with the type of lighting used.

Placing an exterior light right next to the door is an invitation to bugs. As you no doubt know, many types of insects are attracted to light. Just glance at any streetlight at night, and you will see swarms of moths, mayflies, and other flying insects. It stands to reason, then, that placing an exterior light near an entrance to the building will result in more insects getting inside. Whether they fly inside when someone opens a door, or land on the building and crawl through a gap, the presence of an exterior light increases the chances of infestation inside the building.

Instead of putting a light right next to an entryway, try putting it on a pole out in the yard. You can adjust the placing of the pole so the light shines onto the doorway, illuminating it for the safety of those inside. However, the light itself will be far enough from the opening that the swarming insects will not be as likely to get inside the building.

Another mistake that many people make with exterior lighting is using the wrong kind of light bulb. Mercury vapor lights—the standard types of lights—produce light that attracts hordes of insects. Instead, try using lights with a slight tint to them: research has shown that bulbs with yellow, orange, and pink tints are less attractive to insects.

Melbourne, Florida, is home to countless types of flying insects. However, by paying close attention to the placement of your lighting as well as the type of lighting you use, you can greatly reduce the number of insects that come into your home or office building.