Nothing can spoil a pleasant afternoon lounging on your porch or deck than a flock of unruly birds or a swarm of insects. Whether you're eating or enjoying a cold drink, it's a chore to get rid of either of these disruptive species
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Before you spend large amounts of time and money on deterrents, think about the color of your outdoor living space. Did you know several colors naturally attract birds and bugs?
Here's a breakdown of their color likes and dislikes:
Birds
Birds rely heavily on their ability to see colors - from finding a mate to picking the ripest berries. Bright colors tend to attract a variety of birds, including blue jays, hummingbirds, orioles, warbles and goldfinches.
Even darker grays, browns and dull greens are likely to attract birds with cautions temperaments like quail, doves and ground feeders. These colors comfort birds, and create a feeling of safety.
One color that the majority of birds avoid is white. A dull or bright white signals alarm and danger to birds, causing them to avoid those areas.
Bugs
Bugs see color slightly different than birds - bugs see color in the UV spectrum.
In nature, bugs are attracted to brightly colored flowers as they are commonly a source for food. The same is true for your porch or deck, minus the food part. Bugs are naturally attracted to bright colors like white, yellow or orange.
Colors like green and blue won't register as vividly when seen in the UV spectrum, deterring bugs away from these colored objects.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are a special kind of problem, so they get their own category apart from regular, friendly bugs.
Mosquitoes see dark colors more easily, which is why you always hear it's a good idea to wear light colors to avoid the pests. Same is true for your outdoor design. Bright colors, such as whites and yellows, are more likely to deter mosquitoes than dark hues.
Depending on your pest problem, the colors you choose for your outdoor setting could help deter unwelcome visitors. Call your local painting experts at Five Star Paintingto learn more about how the right color scheme can help make your sunny afternoon much more enjoyable.
FAQs
One color that the majority of birds avoid is white. A dull or bright white signals alarm and danger to birds, causing them to avoid those areas.
What color paint repels insects? ›
Because bugs see colors on the UV spectrum, they cannot register hues of green or blue. Painters even use blue paint to repel bees and wasps. Painting your porch ceiling in a blue tone could repel wasps, leading to fewer wasp-eating spiders around your home!
What colors do birds avoid? ›
It's... white. I know, white of all colors: The neutral that works with everything is the one color you should avoid if you're trying to bring all the birds to your yard. Apparently, the color signals danger to them.
What color does not attract bugs? ›
Bugs naturally are attracted to vibrant colors such as orange, yellow, or white. Colours such as blue and green will not register as vividly when viewed in the ultraviolet spectrum, which deters bugs away from those colored items.
Does painting your porch ceiling blue keep birds away? ›
Lore claims the insects and birds see the blue as the sky and don't come beneath it. According to a history of blue paint on Sherwin-Williams.com, today's blue paint is probably not a true deterrent for insects and birds but it once was – back when blue paint was made with lye.
What colors are calming to birds? ›
Neutral and Earthy Tones
If you want to attract birds in shades of gray, black, brown, and green, then providing lots of camouflage cover will make your yard an attractive hang-out. Birds will want to have a safe place from predators, and you can design your landscape to offer a haven.
What is Sherwin Williams' version of haint blue? ›
Here is a list of our favorite haint blue paints: Sherwin Williams SW 6470 (Waterscape)
What color do mosquitoes hate? ›
What colors repel mosquitoes? Mosquitoes in the study did not like blue, green, violet and white. While the results are promising, it's unlikely that wearing these colors as a stand-alone defense is sufficient to avoid bites this summer, said David Price, ACE, director of technical services at Mosquito Joe.
What color blue keeps bugs away? ›
Is it true they also help to keep bugs away? Sky blue paint might actually fool insects as well. Many people theorize that porches painted a soft blue will trick wasps and other insects into thinking it's the sky, taking their nests elsewhere.
What color stands out to birds? ›
These two young, future scientists believe that birds prefer colors in the high energy wavelengths—blue, purple, and green. Red and yellow, low energy wavelength colors, they believed, were less popular because they are warning colors in nature.
Indeed, with the exception of night-flying birds such as owls, the eyes of most birds probably are even more sensitive to ultraviolet light than they are to what we call visible light.
Do wind chimes deter birds? ›
The noise and movement of wind chimes will scare birds off your deck, patio, or porch. Reflective items. Birds are sensitive to bright, reflective colors and will typically avoid any place that has them. Take advantage of this by using reflective flash tape, small mirrors, or other reflective decorative items.
How to keep bugs away when painting outside? ›
One of the easiest ways to keep pests away from an outdoor project? “Create a perimeter by spraying bug repellent around the area of the item you plan to paint,” he suggests. The chemicals or natural oils in your spray will act as an invisible barrier.
What color porch light keeps bugs away? ›
Warm light colours such as red, orange and yellow have the highest wavelengths. So naturally, you'll want to use warm coloured bulbs in your outdoor lighting design in order to deter large swarms of bugs and insects.
Is there a paint that keeps bugs away? ›
Corion Repel® is a special repellent water paint produced to repel insects, preventing them from walking or standing on the painted surface. The insect is rejected through controlled release of repellents and is killed by the active insecticidal ingredients that are permanently inserted into the painting film.
What do birds hate the most? ›
List some common natural bird repellents:
- Mint: The refreshing scent of mint has a strong repelling effect on birds, making them feel very uneasy. ...
- Mothballs: The pungent smell of mothballs is unbearable for birds. ...
- Citronella: The lemony scent of citronella oil is very unpleasant for birds.
While humans have just one nonspectral color—purple, birds can theoretically see up to five: purple, ultraviolet+red, ultraviolet+green, ultraviolet+yellow and ultraviolet+purple.
Is there an anti bird paint? ›
UV Paints and Gels
UV Reflective Paint is a visually intense way to deter birds away from an area.
