Every year from August it's that time again: The cozy coffee table on the terrace or the delicious ice cream in the street cafe become torture - hungry wasps pounce on the treat and are difficult to drive away. Here we explain which home remedies actually help - and what you can safely save.

Wasps do not like strong smells such as lemon and clove

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. These home remedies help against wasps
  3. These home remedies are useless against wasps
  4. Killing wasps is forbidden
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • It makes sense to avoid drinking and eating in the garden and remove fallen fruit so that wasps have no incentive to come into your garden.
    • Wasps do not like the scent of essential oils such as clove, tea tree, lavender, frankincense, lemon or peppermint.
    • Strongly scented plants such as basil, lavender, peppermint, tomato or lemon balm also keep wasps away.
    • Burning coffee powder does not help against wasps.

    These home remedies help against wasps

    On the Internet, in various magazines, on TV, on YouTube: the same advice on how to get rid of annoying wasps appears everywhere in the summer every year. Unfortunately, the same nonsense is repeated just as reliably over and over again. The fact is that a large part of the household remedies that are said to be "dead-proof against wasps" would at most elicit a tired smile from the animals, if they could smile. For this reason, we have summarized here what actually helps - and in the next section, which measures are nonsensical.

    No outside dining and drinking

    By far the best way to avoid attracting wasps in the first place is this: abstain from consuming food and drink outdoors and you will have peace of mind from the beasts. Sounds far-fetched? It is - because such a radical measure would mean doing without the barbecue evening with friends as well as coffee and cake on the terrace or the cool ice cream during the lunch break. Instead, however, you can take a few precautionary measures to ensure that the animals do not have a chance to feast on both sweet and savory foods:

    • Only serve food and (sweet) drinks just before consumption.
    • Always cover food outdoors well, cakes also belong under an airtight hood.
    • Beverage bottles and glasses also get a cover.
    • Preferably drink from straws, they don't have to be plastic.
    • Uncooked macaroni or lemongrass stalks can be used as eco-friendly straws.
    • Both make a good visual impact on the laid table!
    • Carry food and drinks into the house as soon as possible after eating.

    The reason for these measures is to find a practical compromise between summer life outdoors and the wasp plague - which, by the way, is all the more severe after a warm and dry spring. Wasps are guided by their sense of smell and quickly find their way to tasty, protein-rich and sweet treats. And where there is one, several quickly follow. Therefore, try to keep the olfactory attractants under wraps as much as possible.

    Essential Oils

    Essential oils keep wasps and mosquitoes away

    Just as some scents reliably attract wasps, others will deter them. Various, intensely scented essential oils are therefore a good way to keep the animals away from the coffee table - at least as long as the sugary smell of cake and lemonade is not stronger than the aversion to the unloved smell. So place at least one fragrance bowl on the coffee table and in the surrounding area and drip a few drops of the following remedies into it:

    • clove oil
    • tea tree oil
    • lavender oil
    • peppermint oil
    • lemon oil
    • incense

    Alternatively, you can also use incense sticks or scented cones of the appropriate aromas. But beware: these smells can trigger headaches in some people and are therefore not suitable for everyone.

    Strongly scented plants

    Strongly scented plants such as

    • scented geraniums
    • lemon balm
    • peppermint and other mints
    • lavender
    • basil
    • and tomatoes

    are not particularly liked by wasps - just like by other annoying insects such as mosquitoes - and are therefore avoided. These plants can be cultivated wonderfully in pots and placed all around on the terrace or balcony - and thus act as a barrier against various pests. A pot of lemon balm or basil on the coffee table will do the trick, but can be quickly overpowered by other, more enticing smells.

    Finely chopped, fresh garlic and cloths dipped in salmiak and laid out are also said to drive away the wasps. But let's be honest: who would want to have the intense scent of garlic or salmiak in their nose while enjoying a leisurely Sunday coffee?

    order in the garden

    "It's not the worst fruit that the wasps gnaw on."

    If you keep your garden tidy, you will have fewer problems with wasps. You don't have to clean your beds of every weed, but rather follow these tips:

    • windfall: The smell of sweet, rotting fruit is irresistible to wasps, which is why they are particularly attracted to fallen apples, pears, plums, and other pome and stone fruits. Therefore, collect fallen fruit regularly and either dispose of it odor-tight with household or organic waste or recycle it promptly.
    • Rotten wood: Piles of wood in the garden are also irresistible for the pests, since the animals need the material - the more rotten the better - to build their nests and also like to settle in them.
    • animal carcass: If you find a dead bird or other animal carcass in the garden, dispose of it as soon as possible. Wasps also eat carrion and are therefore attracted to the smell of corpses.

    digression

    Aphids attract wasps

    The animals also find the sweet secretions of aphids very tasty, which is why a heavy aphid infestation on garden and potted plants reliably attracts them. So get rid of the pests as soon as possible, especially since aphids also attract ants and can cause any number of fungal plant diseases.

    These home remedies are useless against wasps

    Admittedly, there are not too many effective remedies against wasps. In fact, it's not easy to keep the pests at bay and sometimes it's all about being bothered as little as possible. However, you can safely save yourself the following remedies - they do not help. We explain why.

    "Waspinator" or the crumpled up ball of paper

    Not so long ago, the so-called "wasp deterrent" or "waspinator", which was supposed to reliably keep all wasps away, caused quite a stir. All you would have to do is crumple up a brown paper bag and hang it over the patio table - the wasps would mistake it for someone else's nest and therefore stay away. Sounds too good to be true? It is, because the two annoying wasp species - the common wasp and the German wasp - both nest in burrows or caves and are therefore not deterred from such constructions. They simply do not recognize them as a foreign nest. On the other hand, the wasp species, which live in similar-looking nests, will not bother you at the coffee table or anywhere else. So you don't have to keep these animals away, which is why the "Waspinator" doesn't serve its purpose.

    coffee smell

    It is often read that the smell of coffee is absolutely hated by wasps and is therefore a good repellent. In fact, anyone who has had to fend off the intrusive animals at the Sunday coffee table outside can confirm that the brown drink has no influence whatsoever on the presence or absence of wasps. The smell of the cake is simply tastier, which is why the coffee is accepted. Burning coffee beans or ground coffee in a bowl also has no effect and will only bring tears to your and your guests' eyes.

    Wasps don't like the smell of burnt coffee powder

    Distract and lure to another place

    With this method, the wasps should be kept away from your own table setting by placing a plate with boiled ham, grapes and other delicacies a few meters away. Basically, this trick works very well, but it harbors a danger: where there is plenty of food, many other wasps will also find themselves. And once enough of the animals have gathered in one place, they quickly fly on to the next food source to escape the turmoil. Especially since wasps do not stay in one place, but also visit other feeding places.

    copper coins

    This "insider tip" also belongs in the realm of fairy tales. Whether you rub small change between your fingers and distribute it on the table is of little interest to wasps. The slight copper smell is easily drowned out by other, enticing scents and therefore shows no effectiveness.

    Colourful clothes

    Wear only white or black clothes in summer, as colorful shirts and dresses attract wasps? Again, you don't need to do without your favorite lemon yellow shirt or pink summer dress, as wasps are only attracted by smells. In other words, the animals don't buzz around you because of your colorful clothes, but because they were attracted by your perfume or the strong scent of the detergent or fabric softener. Therefore, it is best to prefer low-scented detergents and avoid flowery body scents - and you'll have peace from the nuisance spirits.

    Killing wasps is forbidden

    youtube

    All sorts of anti-wasp remedies are also commercially available: from wasp traps - electric or not - to defense sprays, the sellers arm themselves against the animals as if for a war. But be careful: both catching and killing wasps is a criminal offense that, according to the applicable catalog of fines, can be punished with a fine of up to EUR 50,000 or even imprisonment. Like all wild animals, wasps are strictly protected. However, the German law is a bit hypocritical at this point: the funds may be sold, but under no circumstances used. Ergo, the purchase of wasp spray or a wasp trap is not punishable, but its use is.

    frequently asked Questions

    What helps against wasps in the apartment?

    Install a close-meshed insect net in front of windows and doors in the spring to prevent wasps and other insects from flying in and out of your home. Also place pots with insect repellent plants such as basil, lemon balm or lavender on the windowsill.

    How likely is it to actually be charged with killing wasps?

    The probability of actually being fined EUR 50,000 for killing a wasp is actually negligible. After all, the principle also applies here: where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge. But beware: An unpopular or nature-loving neighbor can actually report you for a wasp trap - and you will be sentenced for it. The penalty depends on a number of factors.

    How do I prevent a wasp from biting me?

    Don't make any frantic movements and don't try to scare the wasp away by waving your wings or breathing on it - it will interpret both as an attack and want to sting you. On the other hand, keep calm and just walk away.

    tips

    By the way, this trick also helps to keep wasps away: Halve a fresh lemon, spike it with cloves and place it - nicely arranged on a plate - in the middle of the table.

Category:

Animals in the garden