In my opinion, wasps can be a huge nuisance to deal with, especially when they emerge at home. So, like me, if you are going through this situation quite often, it is good to be aware of How To Repel Wasps most effectively. I have a few tips for you.
Wasps have an excellent sense of smell. They used that characteristic to find food sources. Hence, you may use certain scents such as peppermint, lemongrass, clove, geranium essential oils, vinegar, sliced cucumber, bay leaves, scented herbs, and geranium flowers to repel the wasps. So. Let’s get into it and learn how to get rid of the wasps.
Why do you need to repel the wasps?
Many wasps tend to bear the same resemblance to bees, and many tend to get confused when identifying them. For example, wasps may have the same appearance as bees would. Furthermore, they may have the same colony structure as well. Lastly, both wasps and bees are attracted to sweets. However, keep in mind that wasps are completely different from bees. Besides, bees are less aggressive compared with wasps, and they produce honey as well.
Some wasp species make honey. That said, the major role of these creatures is to act as insect controllers in the ecosystem. Due to that, one might think that wasps are aggressive. Wasps tend to swarm if they feel some threat is near their nest, which would be annoying for you.
What are the common issues that wasps may cause?
If the wasps feel like they are under threat, they will start swarming. That swarming is so annoying. So, you will find them disturbing, and it will make you want to chase them away as soon as possible. Apart from that, wasp colonies can spread faster as well. At first, you may see one or two wasps flying around your house. However, even if you spot one or two wasps, chances are that they have built a huge colony around your home. Hence, to get rid of them, the best thing you could do is to remove their nest and, most importantly, the queen. Unless there is a chance that they will continue to reproduce and increase their generation.
How To Repel Wasps
There are some scents that wasps may hate, and you could make use of those to repel the wasps. However, keep in mind that the most effective method of getting rid of the wasps would be to find their nests and remove them.
01. Spray peppermint oil
Many people tend to use peppermint oil as wasps don’t like the peppermint smell at all. Peppermint oil would not harm the wasps. However, they can act as a good deterrent to wasps. The smells don’t last for too long, and you may have to apply them from time to time to get good results. Furthermore, peppermint oil is somewhat expensive and not everybody would be able to afford to buy it.
Many people tend to use readymade peppermint oil as its effect will last for a while. I suggest using Mighty Mint’s peppermint oil, and insect and pest control spray as they usually consist of concentrated natural peppermint oil. Wasps are not fond of mint odors as peppermint oil contains menthol, which would provide an aromatic mint scent. So, to apply this, you simply have to spray the solution on their entryways as well as on other areas.
02. Spray lemongrass clove and Geranium essential oil
Using a mixture of lemongrass, cloves and geranium oil is also an effective way of deterring wasps. Once you apply this mixture, it will make your area less attractive to the wasps. This could also be an expensive way of deterring the wasps. So, ideally, you can mix a drop of each oil into a bottle of water and then spray both inside and outside of the house. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to eradicate the wasp menace from your home completely. Instead, it would keep them at bay. Literally, you could consider this method as a short-term solution and not as a long-term remedy.
03. Plant herbs
Wasps don’t like the scent of certain herbs in your garden. For example, they hate the smells of thyme, eucalyptus, mint, wormwood, citronella, and basil plants. So it would be a fine idea to grow these plants in your backyard, and it would help you to overcome this problem quite effectively. Alternatively, you could grow them on patios, window panes, and on the porch as well. You may simply create a small flower bed and add one or two of the above-mentioned herbs, and it will do the task for you.
04. Vinegar could also repel wasps
Vinegar is commonly found in your household and you could use it to repel wasps. The strong scent of vinegar is something that wasps cannot withstand. So, you could simply spray a mixture of vinegar and water in your house and it would help you to overcome this issue quite effectively. The smell of vinegar would help to overcome the smells that wasps are fond of as well.
Ideally, you need to choose white vinegar to do this task to get the best results. Avoid using apple cider vinegar as it would not give the best results here. In fact, they would attract the wasps instead of repelling them. When you apply the vinegar solution, ensure that you dilute it with water, as then the smell will not overpower. Ensure that you add this mixture quite often, as unless the vinegar scent diminishes in one or two days.
05. Consider planting anti-wasp ornamental plants
Geraniums are fine ornamental plants and you can consider growing them as wasps hate that smell. In addition to that, you may consider growing these to repel the flying critters as well. They have a strong smell, which would easily deter the wasps. However, you cannot use this method solely as it can cover a specific area only.
06. Slice up some cucumber
Cucumbers produce some acidity, and wasps are not fans of those either. The scent they release once you cut the cucumber is strongly acidic, and it would help you overcome wasps effectively. What is easy about using this method is that you don’t need to create any sprays with cucumber. You simply have to cut them off and spread them in the backyard.
If you want to get the best results indoors, you can simply place the cucumber in an aluminum pan or on a dish. Once you mix it with aluminum, it will start a chemical reaction against wasps. Many people tend to try this method to repel wasps as it is a cost-effective way of doing that. That said, cucumbers may attract some other insects such as flies, bees, etc. You can commonly spot them, especially when they start to rot.
07. Try using ground-dried bay leaves
Bay leaves contain eugenol essential oil, which could be quite beneficial in deterring wasps. To use this method, you simply have to scatter those in the suspected areas where you think the wasps are present. If not, you could simply grind them and sprinkle them on the suspected areas as well. Furthermore, you could enhance the scent of this by adding either cinnamon powder or chili powder. Grinding the dried bay leaves is quite crucial here, as then it would release the eugenol oil and make them release a pungent scent. Furthermore, make sure that you do this quite often so that you can get the best results from this trick.
How To Repel Wasps using habitat modification?
Using the mixtures and grounded repellents is effective. However, their scents would tend to fade away faster, and you may have to continue doing those steps more and more. As a result, you cannot guarantee that they will help you overcome this threat alone, and you must implement another backup plan at the same time. When considering that, you could consider trying the habitat modification method, and the following are some of the practical ways that you could use to do this task.
01. Maintain a clean backyard
You need to always keep the backyard clean. Make sure that you remove all the fruits which have fallen on the ground, as they may produce a scent that would attract the wasps and other insects such as flying critters as well. In addition to that, you need to trim off the bushes, weeds, and whatever other tall plants you may come across in the garden.
Wasps prefer to congregate in areas where they believe they will be safe. Those mentioned places are some of the famous hidden nesting grounds, and once you remove those hidden places, it would make it difficult for the wasps to breed at those places. Furthermore, if you are someone who has BBQ parties in your backyard quite often, chances are that some of those food items may attract the wasps. So, ensure that you cover all the food and place a lid on your sodas as well as on the other sweet beverages. Once you follow these steps, wasps will not bother invading your space.
02. Cover the garbage bins
Covering the garbage bin is a simple yet useful and common thing to do. In fact, it is very important to take this step irrespective of what other ways you use to overcome this menace. If you don’t cover the garbage bins, chances are that all your efforts to overcome this issue will turn out to be useless. Wasps are fans of eating sweet-scented food as well as meat and protein items. Literally, they can feast on almost anything they come across. Hence, don’t forget to cover the garbage bins as wasps will feed on almost all the items found there.
Wasps can prey on some insects. They need to provide food for the whole colony, and they would undoubtedly invade your garbage bin as they can find a lot of food there. So, it is always best to clean up the garbage bins and dispose of items properly.
03. Secure your compost pile
Compost is another fine place where the wasps can feast, apart from the garbage cans. So, I encourage you to place the compost pile indoors or even in any other sheltered place. If you find it difficult to find enough space inside, you can be tactful in covering the compost piles. It will discourage wasps and critters such as mice, raccoons, and skunks from invading them. So, if you ever come across a wasp nest in the compost pile and you are not confident in handling it, the best thing you could do is to let a professional handle it.
04. Patch up holes
Patching up holes is a very important thing that you should do to prevent them from occurring in your space. That way, you could avoid having them colonize your home. You need to seal the cracks in your home, be it any tiny crack at the edge of the door or any other hole in your walls. Furthermore, it could also be a slit from your old window screen as well. Wasps prefer to build nests in hidden places, and they will use those places as entry points inside the home.
05. Close all possible entry points
In addition to the holes and cracks around your home, wasps may tend to sneak into your space through gaps under the porch and the deck as well. Usually, wasps tend to build their nests in higher places so that they can protect their nests from possible threats. That said, if the wasps spot any appropriate places under the porch, they may tend to occupy those places as well.
To overcome this issue, you may consider using low-gap fences or even screens and then covering the gaps in the areas. In addition to that, you could trim off the weeds and grass that you can spot on the deck or on the porch so that it would make that area less appealing to the wasps. Furthermore, you may also consider growing some of the above-mentioned herbs there as well.
06. Store your food in a proper manner.
Once you store the food properly, it will help you to keep wasps and other pests at bay. Further, when you store the food, you need to ensure that the food is well sealed so that wasps will not sense the smell that is released from it. Besides, if there is leftover pet food in the backyard, it would also attract the wasps to your home. Thus, you need to get rid of all the clutter on a frequent basis and dispose of it in an appropriate manner as well.
If you don’t attend to this on a frequent basis, they may tend to invade your area on a daily basis as they would feel welcome in your home. Once you keep practicing this step, it will not only help you to get rid of the wasps but also help you to get rid of the other annoying pests such as raccoons, possums, and coyotes.
07. Refrain from decorating the backyard with bright-colored designs
Bees and wasps are fond of bright colors. Additionally, they prefer to feed on the sweet nectar on the flowers and tend to fly around those. Hence, I don’t recommend decorating the porch with bright, fancy-colored flowers, which would attract more of these to your space. Remember to avoid using yellow and white flowers in the backyard. Instead, plant them somewhere to redirect.
08. Use wasp nest decoys
Finally, I suggest you place a wasp nest in your backyard. Wasps are territorial, and they would not survive in any place where any other colony is present. If you wish, you could create a fake wasp nest using a paper bag. You simply have to turn it into the form of a circle and then hang it in the backyard using twine. Furthermore, you may also add some designs that tend to give the same look as their original nest too. There are some fake wasp nest decoys that are available on the market, and you can purchase them at an affordable price too.
Conclusion
To conclude, wasps could be an annoying set of creatures, and they may create nests wherever they prefer and wherever they feel like. So, it could be even at your home, and you may use one of the above methods to repel them.
To wrap up, you may use oils such as Peppermint Oils, Vinegar Lemongrass, Clove, and Geranium Essential Oils to repel the wasps. Above all, make sure that you maintain the cleanliness of your premises too. So, try out these methods to repel the wasps and I am sure you will get the best results.
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