Coffee powder is one of the many household remedies against wasps that are widely promoted. Experiences with this show sometimes more, sometimes less success. How it really works depends on the right application. The side effects are again a matter of taste.
Wasps don't like the smell of coffee
The fine nose of wasps
Wasps have a very keen sense of smell. And they also need it with the amount of special food that they have to hunt down for themselves and their offspring every day. Their diet not only includes clearly smelling sweet jams, fallen fruit or grilled steaks, but primarily fine, fragrant flower nectar, honeydew and insects.
Most home remedies for wasps target their sensitive sense of smell. Plants such as basil, lavender and lemon verbena, citronella or clove oil are said to form repellent odor barriers against the stinging insects. That these smells are unpleasant for wasps has also been proven experimentally.
Coffee aroma is wasps too roasty
Wasps also find the roasted aroma of ground coffee unattractive. But to really rub it in their faces, it's not enough to just scatter it or put a pot of freshly brewed coffee on the table. In order for the odor barrier to be effective, the powder must be lit. To ensure that you do not suffer any damage, the following things must be observed:
- Use a very (!) fireproof container, preferably made of metal
- Place on a non-combustible surface
- If possible, place it where it cannot tip over and be out of the reach of children
- Try it out and see if the smell doesn't bother you
If you put a match in a pile of coffee powder, it will start to glow. This generates a great deal of heat, which ceramic ashtrays cannot withstand over the long term. If possible, you should use a metal container so that the container does not fly around your ears in the middle of drinking coffee. It is best to place it on a rechaud, a stone saucer or on a wall next to the terrace.
Apart from the coffee aroma that is released when the powder burns, the resulting smoke also drives away the wasps. However, not everyone likes the developing, smoky smell. So test whether you can accept it when eating.
In general, experts recommend not only relying on odor barriers to drive away wasps, but above all covering the food to prevent the enticing smells from getting too much into the air.