Ideas to keep away mosquitoes and other flyng nasties?

[jmk3482]

Hi, everyone.

Part of the reason I got chickens was because I knew they could help with bug control. But I have a special situation that I don't think they can help with.

The only outside door on my house is a patio style door with a large window on one side and the door itself has a gigantic window on it. It used to be a sliding door but it got replaced with a door/window combo that has just as much glass. I have curtains hanging on the inside for privacy.

The problem is you can still see lots of light coming through at night and during the warm months, bugs of every kind SWARM onto my porch at night. And if you want to open the door at night, you have to turn off the kitchen light and turn on the porch light, wait a moment for the bugs to come off the door and then quickly go out. If we don't do that, when you open the door, the bugs all swarm into the house. Ewwww. Replacing the door and window with a different kind what don't have windows like that is not an option.

And I don't think it's all mosquitoes. It seems to be mostly other gnats and other things. And don't get me started on the Mayflies... Ewwww.

I have been trying to think of ways I can stop this from happening. I've heard about the scented geraniums that repel bugs. Does anyone reccomend these? I can put potted plants by the door.

What else could I do to block the light coming through the door? Any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Southern28Chick]

Darker, thicker curtains is all I can think of. I have the same thing a door that opens in and a door size window to the right of it. I don't have curtains on them at all. When I open the door at night I get the occasional moth flying in. Which of course then I'm running around linke a crazy person trying to catch it to put it back outside.

 

[Bawkadoodledoo]

Quote:
off topic i was outside last night and a moth landed on me and called his buddies and i was covered head to toe with moths.