How to keep wasps away while dining outside
Enjoy alfresco dining wasp-free with these top tips!
Image: Pixabay
It’s finally time to make use of your stylish garden furniture and enjoy some alfresco dining with your family and friends. You’ve used your best table dressing skills to set the table and have some delicious food cooking on the BBQ. However, you’ve forgotten one thing… That it’s also around this time that wasps come out in their swarms to ruin all the fun.
Between the irritating buzzing, trying to keep them off the food and the fear that in doing so you’ll get stung, wasps aren’t ideal when trying to enjoy your meal in the garden. They may be great pollinators, but they’re not the best dinner guests, so here’s 5 ways to keep wasps away.
Citronella candles
Image: Patrick Reichboth, Unsplash
Citronella candles are good at keeping not just wasps but all insects away while you’re trying to enjoy your meal. Place them in some jars, or pretty candle holders that protect them from being blown out, and dot them around your outdoor dining area.
Peppermint oil
Image: Kelly Sikkema
Peppermint oil is known to be one of the most effective ways of keeping wasps away. You can mix a tablespoon of peppermint oil with four cups of water to create a spray which you can use on and around your garden furniture. You can also put a few drops on some cotton wool and place it in areas where they are known to congregate, like between the decking.
Move brightly coloured flowers away
Image: Pixabay
It’s no secret wasps are attracted to brightly coloured flowers, especially white and yellow. Therefore, it’s sensible to set up your furniture away from these brightly coloured plants, or, if they’re in pots, simply move them away from the dining area.
Move aromatic plants closer
Image: Pixabay
While you should keep bright tropical plants away, you should move stronger smelling plants closer to you. The plants that wasps dislike most are mint, thyme, eucalyptus and tomato stems.
Cover food
Image: Kitchen Craft
Once you’ve served the food, make sure to use food covers so wasps aren’t tempted to take a chance and join you at the table. Silicone or mesh pop-up covers are good options.
Tried any of these techniques to keep wasps away? Let us know which you thought worked best by tweeting us @goodhomesmag or posting a comment on our Facebook page.