Historically, a common reason people painted their porch ceilings was to keep insects away. This practice often involved painting the ceiling blue.
Historical Beliefs About Blue Ceilings and Insects
According to tradition, painting a porch ceiling a light blue color was believed to deter insects and birds. The reasoning behind this was that pests and birds would mistake the painted blue surface for the actual sky. The idea was that if the ceiling looked like the sky, insects and birds would be less likely to build nests or congregate there.
However, it's noted that attributing the insect-repelling effect solely to the color was often a mistake. While blue porch ceilings became a popular tradition, the effectiveness in solely deterring insects based on mistaking the color for the sky is questioned.
