Does painting your porch ceiling blue keep the spiders and wasps away?

It was used as an insect repellent.
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.
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Do blue ceilings keep spiders away?

We've researched the topic in-depth and have an answer for you. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence that blue ceilings do in fact keep bugs away. However, there are some personal testimonies that state they saw fewer spiders and wasps after painting their porch ceiling blue.
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Does painting ceiling blue deter wasps?

Well, it's called "haint blue" and may repel more than just insects, thus the name. The South Carolina Low Country, blue paint has been used on porch ceilings ands ome say this color blue extends daylight at dusk and helps keep bees, wasps and other insects away.
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Do blue painted ceilings keep bugs away?

Does it work, and why? 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.
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What color blue keeps wasps away?

The other step I highly recommend is to paint eaves and porch and patio ceilings with the color called haint blue. It is a robin's-egg blue that, according to Southern tradition, discourages wasps from building nests on its surface.
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The Story of Haint Blue | What About This?



What color paint keeps spiders away?

The 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.
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How do I keep wasps away from my porch?

How to prevent wasp nests
  1. Remove sources of food from around your porch. ...
  2. Keep doors and windows shut. ...
  3. Place wasp-repelling plants around your home and porch. ...
  4. Check for nests. ...
  5. Seal garbage cans and cover compost piles. ...
  6. Pick up trash. ...
  7. Cover any holes on the ground.
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Should porch ceilings be painted blue?

According to the Gullah/Geechee, a blue porch ceiling brought good luck to the home and helped to ward away evil spirits as these lost souls are unable to cross water. A haint blue porch ceiling resembles water and prevents haints from harming the people in the house.
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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.
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What is the significance of a blue porch ceiling?

The blue color was meant to ward off “haints” or evil spirits who might want to harm the house or the family inside. Many people argue that painting your porch ceiling blue actually keeps insects away.
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What color do wasps avoid?

Wear light-colored clothing.

Bees and wasps instinctively perceive dark colors as a threat. Wear white, tan, cream, or gray clothing as much as possible and avoid black, brown, or red clothes.
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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.
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What color paint keeps bugs away?

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.
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How do I keep spiders off my porch ceiling?

How to keep spiders away from porch lights
  1. Garlic spray.
  2. Onion spray.
  3. Citronella candles.
  4. Supersonic emitters.
  5. Peppermint oil spray.
  6. Vinegary repellent.
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Are there paints that repel spiders?

CORION REPEL®

Effective against small insects like mosquitoes, cockroaches, spiders and ants and many others.
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What shade of blue is haint blue?

Haint blue is a collection of pale shades of blue-green that are traditionally used to paint porch ceilings in the southern United States.
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Should I paint my ceiling blue?

Your ceiling might not draw quite the same crowd, but painting it can have a big impact on the overall decor. And while white is certainly the safest choice, flip through any design magazine and you'll quickly note that blue is a decorator favorite.
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Why do Southerners paint their porch ceiling blue?

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.
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What color blue is used on porch ceilings?

And haint blue? Well it's definitely one. The tradition of painting your porch ceiling this cool, green-tinted shade of blue can be traced all the way back to the Gullah Geechee communities of coastal South Carolina and Georgia, who used the color on windows, shutters, and porches to keep away "haints" or spirits.
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What should I put on my porch ceiling?

Materials to Use for a Porch Ceiling
  1. Wood Options. You might chance to look up when standing on the porch of an older clapboard or brick house, and if you do, you'll probably notice a tongue-and-groove -- or bead-board -- ceiling. ...
  2. Plywood Panels. ...
  3. A Board-and-Batten Approach. ...
  4. Composite Materials. ...
  5. Plastic Bead Board.
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What color keeps evil spirits away?

Since the ancient times, red color is believed to be a lucky color to ward off evil spirits.
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Do blue porch ceilings keep birds away?

Summer days seem to last longer when afternoons are spent on the porch, and a pale blue ceiling overhead helps extend the daylight into dusk. Blue ceilings are also said to deter birds from nesting there and insects from buzzing around.
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What smell do wasps hate?

Pest-repellent plants are known to keep wasps away due to their pungent smell. Plants like Peppermint, spearmint, basil, eucalyptus, cloves, geranium, thyme citronella, and lemongrass are wasp repellent.
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Does a brown paper bag keep wasps away?

Our ruling: False

We rate the claim that paper bags resembling wasp nests can act as deterrents against the insect as FALSE because it was not supported by our research. Wasps do not perceive objects like paper bags as nests and instead may use the bags as construction material for nest building.
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How do you keep wasps from coming back?

  1. Spray a flying insect insecticide under your home's eaves in early spring and again in the fall. ...
  2. Place wasp traps around your home. ...
  3. Store your fruit in the refrigerator. ...
  4. Spray an aerosol pyrethrin on the plants and mulch surrounding your birdbath or pool.
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