You’re sipping an ice cold spritzer in your garden when the familiar sound of buzzing reaches your ears. Before you know it, there’s a yellow jacket crawling over your glass without a care in the world
How can you deal with such pesky invaders – especially when you’re likely to be spending much more time outdoors this summer?
Walter Murphy, pest control expert at PriceYourJob, previously shared his advice with HuffPost UK on how to safely get rid of wasps when you’re eating and drinking outside
1. Don’t swat them
It might feel like the most natural reaction, but if a wasp decides to gatecrash your lunch, the worst thing you can do is start flapping your arms in an attempt to swat it away
“These movements can excite or enrage the wasp, making it more likely to sting you,” said Murphy
So, what should you do instead? The best thing to do is to stay as still and calm as possible, he suggested
And don’t try to swat them, either. “If you kill one wasp, you may think you have solved the problem. However dead and dying wasps emit pheromones that attract other wasps to the area, so you are potentially worsening the situation,” he added
Noted
2. Avoid bright colours
As well as being guided to food by their sense of smell, wasps are drawn towards bright colours – so you might want to keep your fluorescent garms locked in your wardrobe for another day
It’s best to avoid wearing bright clothing or planting colourful flowers in your garden, as this could attract hordes of wasps, said Murphy
HuffPost UK previously reported that wasps are drawn to brighter shades like yellows, blues and whites (classic flower colours). They’re not attracted to darker shades like black and brown – and they can’t seem to see the colour red at all
3. Burn citronella candles
Citronella candles are a simple but effective way to keep wasps at bay without having to kill them or spray chemicals around your children and pets. The candles release a fresh, distinctive odour that will make your dinner difficult to locate for wasps, bees, flies and other insects too
Most supermarkets, homeware and hardware stores stock citronella candles, and they can also be bought as tealights, so you can place them around your garden in candle holders
4. Cover your food
The longer your food is out, the bigger the chance of attracting wasps and other swarming pests. “Covering food is the best way to deter wasps,” said Murphy, “as they are less likely to smell it.”
If you’re on a picnic, pack your food in Tupperware boxes and uncover it as you need, instead of laying it all out at once. If you’re eating at a table, cover the remaining food once everyone has been served
Even if you can only cover your food with a mesh cloth, the wasp will eventually give up and fly away once it can’t access the food, the pest expert suggested
5. Grow strong smelling plants
This is one for those eating at home. Wasps have an incredible sense of smell and detest the powerful odour of fragrant plants like fresh mint, ground coffee, cloves and tomato stems
“As well as enhancing your garden and providing a pleasant scent to you, wasps will become naturally repelled by the aromatic plants,” said Murphy
6. Spray peppermint oil
And if you don’t have strong smelling plants on hand, wasps and hornets are instantly repelled by the scent of peppermint
To make a DIY oil, simply shake a tablespoon of peppermint oil with four cups of water in a spray bottle, Murphy advised
Before you sit to have your meal, spray the solution around your dining area. “This is an effective method to drive the wasps away, without using harmful chemicals or killing them,” he added
7. Call a professional
If there’s a wasp’s nest in your garden, shed or garage and you’re getting bombarded every time you leave the house, you might want to call the experts in
“Dealing with a nest without the proper equipment or training can open you up to all sorts of dangers,” said Murphy
“The wasps might swarm out to defend their home, resulting in multiple stings. Whilst smoking out a wasp’s nest will remove it; this may cause a fire which can easily get out of control.”
This article was originally published in 2021
