How to Keep Bugs Out of Your Shed – 10 Proven Ways

Your shed is your private space for tools and equipment. Unfortunately, in dark, damp spaces like a shed, bugs tend to come with the territory.

Thankfully, you don’t have to just put up with all manner of pesky insects in your shed. Here are 10 proven ways to keep bugs out of your shed and keep them away for good.

1. Clean out your shed regularly
2. Install a bug-proof mesh
3. Get rid of moisture
4. Use metal thresholds
5. Repair your shed
6. Use a bug spray
7. Keep garbage outside the shed
8. Use natural deterrents
9. Remove light sources around your shed
10. Upgrade your shed

Clean Out Your Shed Regularly

One good way to keep bugs out of your shed is to make sure that it stays clean and tidy after every use. Excess moisture, dirt, and dust can often encourage bugs to take up residence in your shed.

Areas that show human activity are discouraging to a variety of bugs since they tend to avoid human company where possible.

As such, keeping your shed organized and clean gives bugs fewer spaces to hide and discourages them from moving in.

Another important part of keeping your shed clean is removing dirt and soil. These are perfect breeding grounds for flies and other unwanted insects, so make sure you vacuum weekly and clean dirt off any of your gardening tools before hanging them up.

Install a Bug-Proof Mesh

A 20-mesh screen on your doors and windows is a great way to keep bugs and cockroaches out of your shed.

These bug-proof meshes still allow for ventilation and visibility, as well as admitting light into the shed.

The mesh is too small to admit bugs, including tiny ones like gnats and sand flies, into your shed, protecting your interior from unwanted guests.

Get Rid of Moisture

Moisture is an attractant to a variety of different insects. Just like us, they need water to survive. They’re just not as picky about where it comes from.

Patching up any leaks in your roof and avoiding using or leaving residual water in your shed is a good way to discourage bugs from bothering you.

Getting rid of moisture is incredibly important for the war on termites as well.

When termites find a moisture-rich environment, they send off pheromones that are used to attract a mate to a favorable environment.

Pests can also detect water from a long distance, so if you have water in your shed, the bugs will find it. Another important reason to clear out moisture is that mosquito larvae require standing water to grow.

If you have puddles in or around your shed, the mosquitos have a better opportunity to thrive and pester you all the more.

Use Metal Thresholds

To keep all manner of creepy crawlies out of your shed, installing a metal threshold is a good solution in a robust defense against insects.

Metal thresholds are installed to prevent bugs from being able to get under your door.

As frustrating as it can be, most sheds have clearance under the door that bugs can get under. Using a metal threshold prevents this access route for bugs.

Repair Your Shed

If bugs can get in under the door, then you might start to realize how good they are at fitting in tight spaces.

Cracks and holes in your shed wall are open invitations for bugs, especially if the environment is dark and damp.

Conducting some repairs by filling holes with caulk or roofing cement and finish off with seal spray or seal tape.

Fixing holes or cracks in your shed bars access for bugs from those places, and you should pay special attention to the roof of your shed when it comes to conducting regular repairs.

Wasps and hornets love to nest in roof spaces, and if they find a hole in the roof to gain entry to the shed, then you might be looking at a lot more issues further down the line.

Before patching holes in your roof, shine a flashlight up in the cracks and keep your eye out for any papery substances affixed to the roof or roundish objects that look like clay.

These could be the start of a paper wasp nest or a hornet’s nest.

Make sure you spray the nest thoroughly with bug spray from a good distance and give it a good 24 hours before checking for more activity.

If you still see wasps coming and going, spray again and wait. If not, you’re clear to knock down the nest.

Use a Bug Spray

Well, of course a bug spray is going to kill bugs; however, one useful application method is to spray it around the base of your shed and under your door.

Bugs love to hide in dark corners, so covering these areas with a spray that will discourage them from coming in in the first place is a great way to keep bugs out of your shed.

Just be sure that when you’re using a bug spray, you alert your kids or other members of your household that you’re using an insecticide in the area.

In addition, this method isn’t suitable for you if you have a dog who can reach the area you’re treating.

Keep in mind as well that you’re not going to take care of an underlying bug problem―moisture-rich environment, dirt, cracks in wall or roof―simply by spraying every bug you see.

If there’s something in your shed drawing them in, bug spray isn’t a permanent solution. Even so, reducing the number of pests in the world is always beneficial to keep your shed space more bug-free.

Keep Garbage Outside the Shed

Another important factor that can attract insects to your shed are your garbage bags. Not only do they contain organic substances that are irresistible to flies, but they are also often moisture-laden, making them perfect for unwanted visitors to your shed.

Even just leaning your trash bags against the wall of a shed can create a hospitable environment for bugs, so to avoid attracting insects or creepy crawlies, keep your garbage in a proper trash can with a lid so that the trash is harder for the insects to detect.

Use Natural Deterrents

Some natural products and organic substances have anti-bug properties, usually due to their strong smell that bugs can’t stand.

Herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil, and mint are irritable to many different bugs. Vinegar is a scent that most bugs hate and has the added benefit of washing away ant pheromone trails so that they can’t continue marching into your shed.

Some flowers, spices, and essential oils also have properties that ward off all manner of bugs, so it might be worth adding a few citronella plants to your backyard.

Mixing some spices or unpleasant substances including hot pepper (how diabolical!) into a spray bottle and applying it liberally to bug-afflicted areas can discourage them from returning.

As with the bug spray, natural deterrents are only part of a complete defense against bug invasions.

If there’s something that the bugs want in your shed, herbs, and spices alone aren’t going to stop them.

Remove Light Sources Around Your Shed

For moths and flies, light is simply irresistible. Flies and moths flutter aimlessly around lights because they can’t judge their relative distance from the light source well.

As such, if you have a bright light on at night, it’s a beacon for fluttering nuisances. Removing these light sources is a wise option if you want to reduce the amount of flies and moths around your shed.

If you still need the light for when you’re working at night, it might be worth looking into a bug zapper. These often work by attracting bugs in with light and then zapping them with electricity.

That way, you can still use your lights, and rest assured that any annoying flying insects will make their way towards the zapper eventually.

Upgrade Your Shed

If your shed is an add-on to your house or you bought a cheap one, then unfortunately, bugs are going to come with the territory.

Preventative measures are all well and good, but sometimes, an old or poor-quality shed just isn’t built to standard when it comes to keeping bugs away.

Upgrading your shed with a better, more bug-proof one can be a good solution to bug troubles if you find yourself constantly having to patch leaks in the roof or holes in the walls.

Most modern sheds are built with bug-proof features like mesh on the windows, minimal clearance to prevent bugs from getting in, and leak-proof roofs so that there’s no moisture in the shed.

Final Thoughts

Bugs are pests and don’t belong in your shed. Thankfully, there’s lots of ways to stop them from getting in and discouraging them from being in the area so that you can get on with your projects and keep your tools and equipment safe from unwanted pests.

Alright, that’s it for this article, here are a few hand-selected articles that you might also find interesting reads:

Keep Bugs Out of Your Apartment – Techniques That Actually Work

Keep Bugs Out of Firewood – Techniques That Actually Work

How to Keep Insects out of Your Garage – In Easy Steps