Al-fresco dining time! Effective tips against wasps

Al-fresco dining time!
Effective tips against wasps

We can finally enjoy some al fresco dining, but wasps are waiting in the wings. We have collated some of our best tips to help you.

From spring to late-summer, wasps are out looking for nutritious food to feed their offspring, often until around mid-August.

But before we go fighting the insects, wasps are not innately aggressive and actually bring some benefits too. A small wasp colony consumes up to 3000 flies, mosquitoes, caterpillars, moths, spiders, aphids and other small animals per day.

As a result, they actually destroy a large number of pests in a natural way, which benefits both agriculture and hobby gardeners. They also pollinate flowers and plants as they search for nectar.

Did you know?

Bees also do a vital job for our environment. Without them there would be no fruit, vegetables and flowers.

While they may not be a danger, they can still be annoying while trying to eat.

Here are some of our tips to prevent them getting in the way:

Put some ground coffee in a fireproof container and light it.

Place overripe grapes a few meters away from your table. These are an ideal lure for the wasps. Jam or honey are not suitable for this, they tend to make them more aggressive.

Place garlic cloves on the table.

Use essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus or mint to drive them away.

Basil plants are also a good deterrent, as are tomatoes.

A sliced lemon studded with cloves is said to be a great help against wasps.

Distribute copper coins on your garden table.

Don't forget to keep food and drinks covered.

Important!

Never blow on a wasp to drive it away. The carbon dioxide puts them on alert and in the mood to attack.

Keep tabs on when you can have your next outdoor meal with the WeatherRadar.

Al-fresco dining time! Effective tips against wasps