Does painting a porch ceiling blue keep wasps away?
Painting a porch ceiling blue will keep wasps away, but you need to use a lighter color blue rather than a darker color blue. In South Carolina and Georgia, it is a tradition for people to use a special type of blue color called “ Haint Blue. ” It is believed to be the best blue for keeping wasps away.
Why do people paint the ceiling of porches blue?
A fresh coat of blue paint was like a powerful force that drove the wasps back away from people’s homes. The tradition of blue paint has stayed alive for over 100 years, especially in the southern states. A lot of southerners continue to use milk-based blue paint on the ceiling of their porches.
Does blue paint repel insects?
The page continues: "Some people swear that blue paint repels insects, leaving a porch bug-free and pleasant during those long summer evenings and afternoons...and this belief could be seated in historical truth... "When blue paints were first used on ceilings, they were usually milk paints [that often contained lye, a known insect repellent.]
Do blue painted porches attract more bees?
Katie Rigby of Huntsville painted her painted the ceiling of her front porch and noticed something unusual. “I have fewer bees hovering around the blue painted side porch than the stained ceiling on the front porch,” she said.
Why do people paint their porch ceilings blue?
Is it true they also help to keep bugs away?
Does blue paint on porch ceiling repel bugs?
The theory was that insects would mistake the blue ceiling for the sky and set up housekeeping elsewhere. The blue paint actually did thwart insects, but not by outsmarting them.
Does light blue ceilings keep bugs 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.
Why should you paint your porch ceiling blue?
Across the South, the tradition of painting ceilings blue is passed down from generation to generation. There are many stories and legends as to why, and it's not just about keeping bugs at bay. In the Deep South, a darker blue sometimes called “haint blue” is believed by some to keep away evil spirits.
Does blue porch ceiling deter wasps?
What Is the Best Blue Paint to Keep Wasps Away? Painting a porch ceiling blue will keep wasps away, but you need to use a lighter color blue rather than a darker color blue. In South Carolina and Georgia, it is a tradition for people to use a special type of blue color called “Haint Blue.”
What color should a porch ceiling be painted?
Work with different colors. Historically, light blue is the go-to porch ceiling color—and for good reason. It mimics the natural sky and makes a covered porch feel open and inviting.
Do bugs avoid blue?
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.
Why do Southern homes have blue porch ceilings?
Gullah folklore explains that ghosts, also referred to as “haints,” were not able to cross water. In order to repel evil spirits from plantations, porch ceilings were painted a soft blue. The color was meant to mimic water in an effort to keep any haints or spirits at bay.
What shade of blue is haint blue?
light blueThere's not one specific haint blue color but it's always a pretty shade of light blue.
What color is haint blue in Sherwin Williams?
Sherwin-Williams Waterscape (SW 6470) is a dynamic, perfectly soft-but-bright blue infused with hints of green. Haint blue in general can be tricky because it will depend on several factors, like the natural light on your porch, the other colors present, and the amount of greenery surrounding your house.
What color keeps bugs away?
Blue might be the most widely insect-repelling color there is. As with green, blue is harder for insects to detect.
Does the color blue repel mosquitoes?
While darker colors may save you from bees and beetles, they can attract a different monster- mosquitos. Mosquitos see colors differently than most insects and can pick up shades outside of the UV spectrum. Therefore, using brighter colors like white, yellow, and blue can repel these pests a little more effectively.
What color do wasps not like?
Wasps are the least attracted to dark colors like blue and black. Below we'll go over the 5 colors that attract wasps so you can plan your porch decor, gardens, and even your clothes outfit to better avoid these pesky flying insects.
What color keeps bugs away?
Blue might be the most widely insect-repelling color there is. As with green, blue is harder for insects to detect.
Does blue keep flies away?
Flies may hate yellow but they love blue. A recent study at the University of Florida for the Department of Defense showed that flies are more likely to be attracted to something that is blue.
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 color paint keeps spiders away?
light blueThe color that spiders tend to hate is light blue. People don't just paint their porches light blue for the aesthetic. Painting your porch ceiling in this shade is a pretty effective way of keeping spiders away.
Why Are Porch Ceilings Painted Blue In The South?
Driving down country roads and through historic districts in the South, you may have noticed a characteristic feature: blue porch ceilings. MLM Incorporated loves working on historic renovations, celebrating this type of tradition in southern Louisiana.
Why is the porch ceiling blue?
Have you ever passed a beautiful mansion or cozy cottage and wondered why the porch ceiling was painted blue? It’s a southern tradition based on folklore but many Alabamians claim its true purpose is to deter pests.
Where is the blue porch ceiling?
What is haint blue? Blue porch ceilings are prevalent in South Carolina and Georgia, where the Gullah people passed along the tradition. However, today most southern states have homes with blue porch ceilings, including several antebellum manors in Alabama. In the Gullah culture of the Carolina Low Country, ceilings and sometimes doors were painted ...
What is the blue ceiling of the William Perkins House in Eutaw?
The blue ceiling of the porch of the William Perkins House in Eutaw. Kendall Manor, built in 1872, is one of the homes on the annual Eufaula Pilgrimage of homes. Its upper and lower porch ceilings are painted blue. (Source: RuralSWAlabama.org) The Capt. Nathan Carpenter House near Eutaw was built ca. 1852.
Why are the ceilings painted blue?
In the Gullah culture of the Carolina Low Country, ceilings and sometimes doors were painted blue to symbolize water, according to Southern Living. "Haints," a pronunciation of "haunts," and evil spirits could not cross water, according to lore, and the faux water prevented them from entering. Many people use pale of dusty hues ...
What was the first paint used on ceilings?
The Sherwin-Williams article said: “This belief could be seated in historical truths. When blue paints were first used on ceilings, they were usually milk paints, and those paints often had lye mixed into the composition. Lye is a known insect repellent, which would explain why insects would avoid nesting on a painted porch ceiling or ledge.”
Who painted the ceiling of her front porch?
Katie Rigby of Huntsville painted her painted the ceiling of her front porch and noticed something unusual. “I have fewer bees hovering around the blue painted side porch than the stained ceiling on the front porch,” she said.
Can birds see blue paint?
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 to do if you have a pest problem on your porch?
If you have a severe infestation problem on your porch, you can also consider hiring pest control services that can work quickly and efficiently to provide a quality service in a short amount of time .
What color paint keeps wasps away?
What Is the Best Blue Paint to Keep Wasps Away? Painting a porch ceiling blue will keep wasps away, but you need to use a lighter color blue rather than a darker color blue. In South Carolina and Georgia, it is a tradition for people to use a special type of blue color called “ Haint Blue. ”.
What Colors Deter Wasps?
Scientists have not found any particular color to deter wasps directly.
Why do wasps like blue?
There are various reasons why this might be the case. Some people claim the blue color tricks the wasps into thinking the ceiling is a blue sky or blue water, so they want to stay away from it. In any event, the color blue is effective at keeping wasps away.
What plants repel wasps?
Plants such as thyme, citronella, eucalyptus, and many others are known to naturally deter insects like wasps and hornets. So, grow these wasp repelling plants in your patio, attic, or porch. Remember, there are many insecticides available in the stores for killing wasps and other insects in their nests.
Where do wasps nest?
The typical places where wasps like to nest in our homes are wooded wall cavities and underneath the eaves of roofs. If your home has a front porch of any kind, the chances are that it has the potential for attracting wasps to nest there. Your initial reaction might be to call an exterminator and have them spray pesticides around your porch, ...
Can you paint your porch ceilings in Haint Blue?
Then you can satisfy the science and folklore reasonings at the same time. But don’t just paint your porch ceilings in Haint Blue. Try going a step further by painting your window sills, siding, frames, and doors in Haint Blue as well.
How To Keep Bugs Off Your Porch Ceiling?
Besides installing a ceiling fan that will blow and disturb the air near the ceiling, there are couple more things that you can do to keep bugs away from it.
What Kind Of Porch Lights Keeps Bugs Away?
The second type of bug is those attracted to lights that emit blueish color because along with it, they are also emitting UV light which is visible to bugs and thus attracts them.
Where do foxes build their nests?
They have taken to building their nests behind the black shutters and underneath the porch floor! Coming in and out through the spaces building up a storm.
Do barn swallows build on the roof?
Other breeds of birds, however have not been back to build with the exception of a barn swallow and it was building not on the ledge under the roof but inside the white draperies where I had them tied back.
Does the Haint's Blue Ceiling deter them?
The Haint' Blue Ceiling does indeed deter them!
Is the stoop ceiling white?
As a matter of fact they all come in the back door and that stoop ceiling is still white!
Why do people paint their porch ceilings blue?
Once upon a time in the deep South, many people painted their porch ceilings a specific shade of Haint Blue, a soft blue-green, to ward off evil spirits called “haints.”. It’s especially common in the historic homes around Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Although these originated in South Georgia and South Carolina, ...
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. We’ve just recently repainted our porch ceiling a new shade of blue. Originally we painted the porch ceiling blue over seven years ago and I can say we have had fewer spiders, wasps, and other bugs trying to take up residence on our porch ceiling. For a little more inspiration, take a look at this blog written in the Washington Post.
