Turn the light off, the window's open!

[SausageinaBun]

We've got windows open to cool down our house. But apparently that means we have to sit in darkness to avoid bugs coming in. I don't remember having that rule when I was a child - it's a DH thing that my DDs are now obsessed with too. All 3 of them do hate bugs, I'm the house spider remover.

So is this normal or just my family?

Yes, lights are off when windows open. I don’t like insects so strictly police this rule every evening.

I'm with your family.
Moths particularly, but all sorts of creatures are attracted to lights.

Absolutely no lights on when windows are open otherwise its like A Bugs Life premiere. We're rural and there are plenty of insects.

We most definitely have mosquitos - my body is a testament to that.

We usually have a magnetic screen up but it doesn't fit the door properly at the moment. I hate moths and spiders so not a great time for me.

I would rather my house be an airless oven than have bugs come in. Even thinking about something crawling in while I sleep would be enough to keep me awake. Just had lights off and windows open in my room for a few hours and it's cool but now I'm in here lights back on and window closed

We turn off the lights otherwise we're attacked by loads of moths.

There used to be a lot more moths, they were everywhere round lights when I was a kid.

We have the windows open in the evenings if the weather is good, and I've literally only just closed our patio door. We did get a whole horde of tiny midge-type things in the bathroom the other evening, they were all over the ceiling and round the light. Ugh. Never had that happen before.

Yep, lights off here. But we back on to a nature reserve/swamp/bog. Plenty of flying things that want to suck your blood 🧛‍♂️

Lights off here too. Don’t get my DH started on not being able to have integral flyscreens on windows here like they have in his home country. It’s horrible. I cannot stand those daddy long legs or moths, especially when you’re in the dark, window open, but in your phone and a flying fecker smacks into your face attracted by your phone screen light.

Solar lights have helped us, the inspects seem to stay outside more when we have solar lights than need to come in.

That was my rule until we put screens up a few summers ago. Can't stand the idea of a daddy long legs getting in

It's me who imposes this rule in our house, I'm not fond of big moths and mosquitos/gnats love me so we're a lights off house. DH isn't bothered, but then he doesn't get bitten so he doesn't get a choice!

Question for those with insect screens, how flimsy are they? Would a cat be able to dislodge/break them from the inside do you think?

i have a friggen river and lots of trees right on my doorstep so i have to turn off the lights , if i forget to, my room is bugslife..

I have Flat Cats screens which are designed primarily for stopping fluffy idiots getting out and do a wonderful job of keeping insects from getting in, too. Got them on both upstairs windows and one downstairs and they are a lifesaver - my cats go out in the day but not at night, they're both quite solid and the screens have held firm for a good 5 or so years now.

Mosquitoes aren't attracted by the light. They're attracted by CO2 and body heat. And finally zoom in on body odour. They also prefer dark clothing to light clothing.

But moths etc. Are attracted by the light.

Ooh, off to google Flat Cats, thank you!

My daughter is insect phobic so we have roller midge screens on all of our windows and our house remains a bug free zone .

We never used to when I was a child and I hated all the bugs coming in. Now I have screens, just the little clip on ones, and can have windows open all night very happily.

I guess it's not a usual UK practice because we don't get bugs that can kill you here, plus our houses in general are not as user friendly as in a lot of other countries.

I've removed 2 giant moths and 3 daddy long legs tonight. Last year it was a bat
I don't do flappy things, that was not fun

YES! Please someone explain. Screens keep out the bugs, bats, cats, and foxes. I could understand maybe older houses with non-standard window sizes, but surely new builds should have screens?

I do it too. Don't want moths eating everything. Once you get one big the spiders move in. Nothing against spiders buy they do insist on crawling around everywhere webbing the place up. The day they start doing housework they can live here, until then the need to get back outside. I've been consistently not opening windows where the light is on and also catching and removing everything that comes in and now a year on I'm largely bug free. Wiping down surfaces no longer involves dealing with shrivelled corpses. The massed ones I haven't noticed under furniture etc aren't there any more so also aren't covered in sticky dusty web and a quick hoover/wipe behind something is just that.

I have that rulr now. Never had it before but after some cloth moth couple decided to procreate inside of the house causing an infestation that has taken lots of products and 3 years to clear, I won’t risk it again.

Windows shut here once the lights come on. Not that this helps with flipping mosquitoes! But it does stop the bastard giant hornets flying in - they are definitely attracted to the lights and are a bugger to evict.

Judging by the state of my vehicle it looks like all the bugs a PP thinks have gone have actually emigrated to Canada.

Damn mozzies are so big here you can hear the buggers approaching.

And we also get Polyphemus and Cecropia moths here, with wingspans up to 18cm.

Why aren't window screens installed? 🤔