Want to know how to naturally deter wasps? It may surprise you how easy and effective this shortlist has in store!
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Deter Wasps | Effective Ways of Driving Wasps Away
How to Get Rid of Wasps
If you’re reading this, chances are you have been stung at least once by a wasp. Speaking from personal experience, the sting from a wasp is very painful.
If you remain calm while in their presence, they will leave you alone, as wasps are not out to harm you. Usually, when a human gets stung, it’s because the wasp feels threatened in some way.
Most of the time, the number one reason for humans being stung is due to waving of your arms to shoo it away, which wasps take as an annoyance or a threat. You do it enough times, you will get stung.
With that being said, most people (myself included) are afraid of wasps. Most will turn to pest control methods that are meant to kill the wasps, but, the truth is wasps are beneficial to our ecosystem and we should learn to deter them, not kill them.
Once again, I turned to the internet for my research. Here are four deterrent methods that seem to be the most popular and most effective.
1. Fake Wasp Nest
Want to know a brilliant way of how to keep wasps from building nests. Wasps are known to be very territorial.
By hanging up a fake wasp nest outside of your home, you reduce the chances of wasps constructing nests of their own. They will think another colony is already established and they will move on to another location.
The fake wasp nest, shown in the photo above, can be purchased here on Amazon.
Here’s how to make your own fake wasp nest:
- Fill a small to a medium brown paper bag with three or four plastic bags (crumple the plastic bags.)
- Tie the top of the paper bag with string or twine, leaving enough string for hanging. Hang the filled bag wherever wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets hang out.
2. Plants to Place Throughout Your Garden That Will Deter Wasps
Place the following plants throughout your garden to deter wasps. Not only will these plants chase away the wasps, but they will also add beauty to your garden. It’s a win-win!
- Wormwood
- Eucalyptus
- Mint
- Citronella
Check out my article Plants That Repel Insects And Pests You Can Grow to learn what pests you can deter this summer with these beautiful and beneficial plants.
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3. Deter Wasps with Cucumber
Slice a fresh cucumber into thin slices and arrange them in a single layer on an aluminum pie plate, dish, or cake pan. The point is, the cucumber must be fresh when you slice it and the pan must be aluminum.
The cucumber reacts with the aluminum and gives off a chemical reaction/scent that is undetectable to humans but drives wasps and yellow-jackets away and makes them flee the area.
Place the sliced cucumber around the patio, deck, or picnic table.
4. Soap and Peppermint Oil Spray
- Mix 1 cup of unscented baby shampoo and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil.
- Fill a spray bottle with the mixture and spray on areas and surfaces where you wish to deter bees and wasps.
Note: This method is intended to be used as a deterrent only.
Check out this homemade wasp repellent by ehowhome:
So there are your all-natural ways of deterring wasps. Apart from these methods, always remember wasps don't usually react unless they are annoyed or threatened.
Simply keep your distance and make use of the information given above.
Do you have an all-natural deterrent for wasps that you would like to share? Tell us about them in the comments section below!
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on July 22, 2016, and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Here in Texas we have those particularly nasty and aggressive red wasps. They come back year after year and build their nests, and rebuild their nests pretty much in the same area, no matter how many times we tear them down. I’ve found that after tearing down a red wasp nest, spray the area where it was built word WD-40. You’ll see the surviving wasps come back and fly around for a little while, but I don’t know what it is about the WD-40, but they won’t rebuild where it’s been sprayed. So I always keep a can of wasp spray and a can of WD-40 to kill them, then to keep them from rebuilding.