Utah Valley University is the heartbeat of Orem, and its growth has transformed our city into a vibrant hub. If you live in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus, you may be familiar with the bright skyline. The campus stays lit throughout the night for safety, sporting events, and late-night study sessions.
While these lights make Orem safer and more accessible, they also act as a massive trap for regional insects. Therefore, this creates a direct ripple effect for nearby homeowners. The glow pulls insects from the surrounding areas and throws them right in your backyard.
Where there is a steady supply of insects, the spiders are sure to follow. Therefore, living in the “UVU shadow” means your home faces much higher pest pressure. Before your home turns into a spider sanctuary, call saelapest.com for a lighting-based pest assessment.
Why Do Orem Insects Swarm The Light
Orem is situated in a high-altitude desert environment where water and resources are often spread out. During the day, most insects hide from the intense Utah sun. But at night, they become active and are naturally drawn to light sources. This behavior is called phototaxis.
The big stadium lights and parking lot lamps at UVU are far brighter than any residential porch light. These lights act like a magnet for a huge variety of flying insects from all across Utah County.
The problem is particularly worse because of the university’s proximity to the lake. During the summer and fall, midges and gnats fly toward the city lights from the shoreline. They get caught in the bright fields and eventually settle on the nearest structures.
If your home is along the path between the lake and the campus lights, you will see thousands of tiny insects covering your siding and windows every evening.
How The Influx Of Insects Is A Buffet For Spiders
Spiders are opportunistic hunters, and they are very smart about where they set up their traps. They do not want to work harder than they have to. When thousands of moths, beetles, and gnats cluster around the bright lights of Orem, the spiders see a feast.
You will notice that homes near UVU often have much thicker webbing around the eaves, shutters, and porch lights. This is a direct result of the high insect traffic caused by the university’s lighting.
The most common invaders in the UVU area are Wolf Spiders and Orb Weavers. Orb Weavers are responsible for those large webs that block your walkways and cover your windows. They build these webs right in the path of the light to catch the flying insects drawn to the glow.
Wolf Spiders, on the other hand, are ground hunters. They stay near the foundation and under porches to catch the insects that fall from the lights above. A home that is constantly lit will naturally support a much larger and more active spider population.
Tips To Manage Your Home’s Lighting For Pest Prevention
You cannot change the lights at the university, but you can change how your own home interacts with the nighttime environment. Here are some tips:
- Change to lights to “bug lights” or yellow LED bulbs.
- Install motion sensors instead of keeping your lights on all night.
- Use light fixtures that are shielded on the top and sides.
- Close gaps in your siding and around utility pipes.
Get Help From Orem’s Best Pest Control Service!
You cannot keep your lights off all the time. You need a barrier that works even when the lights are on. This is why you need Saela Pest Control and their trusted team of experts. Their expert technicians understand the specific migration patterns around UVU and the I-15 corridor. Their team uses professional-grade products that create an invisible shield.
Call Saela Pest Control now to schedule your specialized lighting-related pest assessment!
