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 yourself.
Which home remedies effectively keep wasps away?
To keep wasps away, essential oils such as clove, tea tree, lavender, peppermint, lemon or frankincense can be used. Strongly scented plants such as basil, lavender, peppermint, tomatoes and lemon balm also have a deterrent effect on wasps. Also avoid unprotected food and drinks outdoors.
These home remedies help against wasps
On the Internet, in various magazines, on television, on YouTube: the same advice on how to get rid of annoying wasps reliably appears everywhere in the summer. Unfortunately, the same nonsense is just as reliably repeated over and over again. The fact is that a large part of the home remedies that are supposed to be “surefire against wasps” would only 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 pointless.
No outdoor food or drinks
By far the best method for preventing wasps from being attracted to you in the first place is this: Avoid consuming food and drinks outdoors and you will have peace and quiet from the beasts. Sounds absurd? It is - because such a radical measure would mean foregoing the barbecue evening with friends as well as coffee and cake on the terrace or the cool ice cream during the lunch break. Instead, you can take a few precautionary measures to ensure that the animals don't have a chance to feast on both sweet and savory foods:
- Serve food and (sweet) drinks shortly before consumption.
- Always cover food outdoors well, cakes also belong under an airtight hood.
- Beverage bottles and glasses also receive a cover.
- Drink preferably from straws, they don't have to be plastic.
- Uncooked macaroni or lemongrass stalks can be used as environmentally friendly straws.
- Both also look great on the laid table!
- Take food and drinks into the house as quickly as possible after eating.
The reason for these measures is to practically find a compromise between summer outdoor life and the wasp infestation - which, by the way, is even more severe after a warm and dry spring. Wasps are guided by their sense of smell and quickly find their way to delicious, 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 smells reliably attract wasps, others scare them away. 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 unwanted smell. So place at least one scented 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 be careful: For some people, these smells trigger headaches and are therefore not suitable for everyone.
Strongly scented plants
Strongly scented plants such as
- fragrant geraniums
- Lemon balm
- Peppermint and other mints
- Lavender
- Basil
- and tomatoes
are not particularly liked by wasps - just like other annoying insects such as mosquitoes - and are therefore avoided. These plants can be wonderfully cultivated in pots and placed all around the terrace or balcony - and thus act as a barrier against various pests. A pot of lemon balm or basil on the coffee table also does the job, but can quickly be drowned out by other, more tempting smells.
Chopped fresh garlic and cloths dipped and laid out in ammonia are also said to drive away the wasps. But let's be honest: who wants to have the intense scent of garlic or salmiac in their nose while having a cozy Sunday coffee?
Order in the garden
“The worst fruits are not the ones that the wasps gnaw on.”
If you keep your garden tidy, you have fewer problems with wasps. To do this, you don't have to completely clear your beds of every weed, but rather follow these tips:
- Fallen fruit: The smell of sweet, rotting fruit is irresistible to wasps, which is why the animals are particularly attracted to fallen apples, pears, plums and other types of pome and stone fruit. Therefore, collect fallen fruit regularly and either dispose of it in an odor-proof manner with household or organic waste or recycle it promptly.
- Rotten wood: Piles of wood in the garden are also irresistible for pests, as the animals need the material - the more rotten the better - to build nests and also like to settle in them.
- Animal carcasses: If you find a dead bird or other animal carcass in the garden, dispose of it as quickly as possible. Wasps also eat carrion and are therefore attracted to the smell of corpses.
Excursus
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 quickly as possible, especially since aphids also attract ants and can cause a lot 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 away and sometimes the main thing is to be bothered as little as possible. However, you can safely save yourself the following remedies - they don't help. We explain why.
“Waspinator” or the crumpled paper ball
Not 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 think it was a foreign nest and therefore stay away. Sounds too good to be true? It is, because the two annoying species of wasps - the common wasp and the German wasp - both nest in holes in the ground or caves and are therefore not deterred by such constructions. They simply don't recognize it as a foreign nest. The wasp species, on the other hand, 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 scent
It is often said 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 intrusive animals at the outdoor Sunday coffee table 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. Even burning coffee beans or powder in a bowl 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 by placing a plate with cooked ham, grapes and other delicacies a few meters away. In principle, this trick works very well, but it poses a danger: where there is plenty of food, many other wasps also appear. And once enough of the animals have gathered in one place, they quickly fly on to the next food source to escape the commotion. Especially since wasps don't stay in one place, but also visit other feeding places.
copper coins
This “insider tip” also belongs in the realm of fairy tales. Wasps have very little interest in whether you rub change between your fingers and spread it on the table. The slight smell of copper is easily drowned out by other tempting scents and therefore has no effect whatsoever.
Colorful clothes
Only wear white or black clothing in summer, as colorful shirts and dresses attract wasps? Here, too, 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 are not flocking to you because of your colorful clothing, but because they were attracted by your perfume or the intense scent of the detergent or fabric softener. It is therefore best to prefer detergents with a low fragrance and avoid floral body scents - and you will have peace of mind from the pests.
Killing wasps is forbidden
Der Wespenmann Michael Neumann bei Welt der Wunder Wespen
All sorts of remedies against wasps are also available in stores: from wasp traps - electric or not - to defense spray, the sellers prepare against the animals as if for war. But be careful: catching and killing wasps is a criminal offense that can result in a fine of up to EUR 50,000 or even imprisonment, according to the current catalog of fines. Wasps – like all wild animals – are under strict nature protection. However, German law is a bit hypocritical at this point: the funds may be sold, but under no circumstances may they be used. Therefore, buying wasp spray or a wasp trap is not a crime, but using it is.
Frequently asked questions
What helps against wasps in the apartment?
In the spring, install a close-meshed insect net in front of windows and doors so that wasps and other insects cannot fly 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 reported for killing wasps?
The probability of actually being sentenced to a EUR 50,000 fine for killing a wasp is actually extremely small. Ultimately, the principle also applies here: If there is no plaintiff, there is no judge. But be careful: an unpopular or nature-loving neighbor can actually report you for a wasp trap - and you will be convicted for it. How high the pen alty is depends on various factors.
How do I stop a wasp from stinging me?
Under no circumstances make any hectic movements or try to scare the wasp away by waving or breathing at it - it will interpret both as an attack and want to sting you. On the other hand, stay calm and just walk away.
Tip
By the way, this trick also helps to keep wasps away: Halve a fresh lemon, stuff it with cloves and place it - nicely arranged on a plate - in the middle of the table.
