When wasps flock to the garden table in summer, it can be quite annoying. But as is so often the case, there is strength in calm. Instead of waving around wildly, you can simply place a basil plant on the table and sit back and relax.
How does basil help against wasps?
Basil is effective against wasps because its fresh, balsamic scent, rich in essential oils, is unpleasant for them. Place a pot of basil directly on the dinner table to keep wasps away and at the same time provide a beautiful table decoration.
Smells against wasps
Keeping wasps away from the coffee table with plum cake or the barbecue with juicy steaks is difficult. Because once they smell fat prey, the striped stinging insects can no longer be stopped. The animals have a lot to do, especially in late summer, when their state is growing the most and there are a lot of offspring to look after. And they can't afford to be shy.
Nevertheless: With apparently gentle methods, the pests can be kept away relatively effectively. Because they have a very fine sense of smell, which not only helps them locate food sources, but which you can also use to drive them away. Namely, by surrounding your patio table with scents that make wasps want to run away. The good thing about it: Many wasp-repelling scents smell very pleasant to us humans.
To remember:
- Wasps have a very keen sense of smell
- that can also be used to expel people
- they generally find essential scents repulsive
Basil as a wasp repellent
One of the unpleasant smells for wasps is the fresh, balsamic, spicy-sweet scent of basil. The royal herb is rich in essential oils, which wasps generally find rather repellent. That's why it's recommended to simply place a pot of fresh basil directly on the dinner table. This not only keeps the wasps away, but is also a beautiful, natural table decoration and offers the group a direct seasoning option. Especially with hearty meals such as barbecues or snacks with caprese salad, you can kill several wasps - oh, flies - with one stone.
Also effective as an oil
As an alternative to the basil pot, you can also use basil oil to repel wasps. For example, let it evaporate in a scented light or spray it mixed with water using a water disperser. Basil oil is also a delicious and he althy addition to fresh salad dressings. You can even easily make it yourself by steeping fresh basil leaves in olive oil for about a month.