Whether you’re the type of person to run away, flapping your arms and screaming. Or, you’re cool, calm and collected when it comes to wasps and hornets. No one really likes to have them in their company. There has been many a time over the years where i’ve run off crying like a little girl when it comes to wasps. They love me for some reason, which isn’t reciprocated! So, if you’re looking to get rid of these unwanted pests, there are some natural wasp and hornet deterrent options that actually work. Keep reading on if you want to rid your spring and summer of these nasty creatures in a natural way.
Get Rid Of Any Unwanted Foods & Drinks
Although they aren’t the nicest of creatures, before you start killing them, there are a few things you can do to prevent wasps and hornets from invading your space.
Get rid of any open food and drink that’s around you. Wasps love anything sweet and sticky like sugary drinks, jam, ice cream…etc. So if you have anything like that around you, make sure it’s covered up so as not to attract them.
Ensure All Bins Are Sealed
As mentioned above, wasps and hornets love scraps of food. So they’ll be attracted to your rubbish bins if they aren’t sealed.
Compost bins can also attract these pests, so make sure yours is sealed securely. One way to get around this would be to move your composting indoors. Perhaps into a garage or out house.
Patch Up Any Cracks Around Your Home
You’ll need to seal up any cracks and holes in your home. Wasps love to create nests in cracks so if they find any around your home, they’ll be there to stay. You should pay special attention to cracks that you find around the edges of your house. The best time of year to do this is in the autumn before they start building their nests.
Include Wasp Repellent Plants To Your Garden
There are some plants wasps really hate, so if you want to keep them away, plant some of these in your garden. Spearmint, thyme, eucalyptus, wormwood, and citronella. Plant any of these around your home and the wasps and hornets will stay away. Flowering plants such as – marigolds and geraniums will also deter wasps.
Make sure to avoid plants such as – sweet fennel, Queen Anne’s lace, and yarrow as these will attract wasps!
A Water & Soap Spray Solution
Soap and water solutions are a great way to keep wasps away or to get rid of wasps nests. Simply add 2 tablespoons of washing up liquid to a bottle of water. Shake well and spray the soap and water mix on to the nest. This will cause them to die pretty quickly due to their air pores being clogged up by the soap mix.
It is better to spray the nests after dark when all the wasps will be in the nest. Beware the wasps will not like you doing this and could fly out at you.
Blend Together Essential Oils
Mix together a few drops of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils to create a natural wasp repellent. Add this essential oil blend to a spray bottle, along with a few tablespoons of dish soap. Fill the rest of the water bottle up with water and shake well.
Spray this essential oil blend on to any wasp nests. You can also spray this blend in to the air round you if you’re enjoying a day in the sunshine to deter them. Some wasps like to build nests in the same places each year, so make sure you continue to spray these areas.
They HATE Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is a great natural repellent. Place a few drops of peppermint oil along with a few drops of washing up liquid in to a spray bottle. Shake and spray on to the nests.
You could also use peppermint oil on it’s own in a diffuser or a few drops on a cotton wool bud placed around you while you sit outside. The strong smell of the peppermint will deter the wasps and hornets from coming too close and bothering you.
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I am going to have to try these things out!
Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk
Arhh, it works like a charm! I put a few drops of peppermint oil on my wrists before i went for a pub lunch outside and didn’t have ANY bugs come anywhere near me!