08/15/2026
The insects circling your porch light all night aren't attracted to the heat. They navigate by moonlight, and the bulb overwrites the signal. Moths spiral until exhaustion. Beetles crash into lit surfaces. Fireflies can't find mates because their flashes are drowned out.
Most of it happens between 10 PM and dawn, when insect activity peaks and most porch lights are on for no one.
🌿 Three changes that make a difference:
- Motion-sensor lights instead of always-on. The light activates when you need it and stays off when you don't.
- Warm-toned bulbs, amber or yellow, attract fewer insects than cool white or blue LEDs.
- Off between 10 PM and dawn if the light isn't needed. That window covers the peak.
The insects at the porch light include pollinators, the prey base for bats and birds, and the fireflies you're watching from the lawn. The switch is the simplest thing you can change 🐾
