Every late summer it's the same again: cozy plum cake dinners or barbecues on the terrace are almost impossible because uninvited, black and yellow tabby guests stubbornly buzz around the table. There are a few tricks to keep the pests away.
How do you effectively keep wasps away from the table?
To keep wasps away from the table, food and drinks should be consistently covered so that their scent molecules do not get into the air. In addition, smoking wasp repellents (€10.00 on Amazon) can be used such as glow spirals or fragrance lamps.
What you should know about wasps
Wasps love sweet and savory food
The wasps that are so annoying to us at the garden table are only a fraction of the huge family of wasps. As a rule, it is German and common wasps that so brazenly and tirelessly fight for our food. These species are primarily after the following foods:
- Sweets – jams, ice cream, icing particles, fruit
- Savory – meat, fish (especially raw)
So it's no wonder that the critters pounce on our table, especially during breakfast, drinking coffee and grilling. Precautions are particularly necessary for these meals.
Wasps have a fine nose
Wasps have a very keen sense of smell, which allows them to detect suitable food from afar. This means they are quickly attracted to a table full of goodies, even from afar.
What to do?
When it comes to wasp infestations, home remedies are often promoted at the table that are supposed to provide an odor barrier for the wasps. In fact, the animals find herbaceous, ethereal smells such as lavender, lemon verbena, basil, clove oil or frankincense plants repellent. However, such remedies do nothing to counter the temptation of sweet, nutritious treats. Especially in their most active phase from August onwards, the workers are simply too hungry to be deterred from easily accessible food sources by unpleasant smells.
At best, smoking wasp repellents (€10.00 on Amazon) such as glow spirals or fragrance lamps can have a certain effect.
The only thing that is really effective is unfortunately also a bit annoying: all tempting foods and drinks should be consistently covered to prevent the scent molecules from getting into the air. This means the wasps may not even notice your meal.
If wasps appear at the table, you should, if possible, catch them with a drinking glass and keep them locked up while you eat. In this way you prevent her from informing her colleagues about the fat loot and further hordes from coming. After clearing away, don't forget to release the wasp again!
