If you’re looking to enjoy the sun in your backyard without getting attacked by wasps, you’re in luck. Pest control expert Adam Juson has shared five simple and inexpensive tricks to keep wasps away.If you’re looking to enjoy the sun in your backyard without getting attacked by wasps, you’re in luck. Pest control expert Adam Juson has shared five simple and inexpensive tricks to keep wasps away. 1. Use Your Change: Wasps despise the smell of copper. Place 1p and 2p coins around your outdoor space, in plant pots, and along the table. You can also hang a copper coin in a bag of water on door handles to deter wasps. 2. Get Some Oil: Essential oils can be effective in repelling wasps. Citronella, tea tree, basil, and garlic scents are particularly effective. Place bowls of tea tree and water around your outdoor space, or grow pots of basil near your barbecue table. 3. Caffeine Solution: If you’re a coffee drinker, you can use leftover coffee grounds to repel wasps. Light the grounds in a heatproof bowl until they glow, emitting smoke and an odor that wasps find intolerable. 4. Cover Up: Wasps are attracted to sweet smells. To prevent them from swarming your food and drinks, simply cover them while enjoying your time outdoors. 5. Bag It In: A simple paper bag can deter wasps. Hang a paper bag near your outdoor area. Wasps will mistake it for a rival hive and avoid it.
WITH summer it’s really here – if you want to relax and enjoy the sun in your garden, without being attacked by wasps, then you’ve come to the right place.
Although wasps are great for flowers, they can cause a lot of nuisance.
If you can’t stand wasps flying around in your garden, then you’ve come to the right placeCredit: Alamy A pest control expert has shared five simple tricks to keep wasps out of your garden – and one hack will cost you just 1 centCredit: Alamy
But fear not, because pest control expert Adam Juson of Merlin Environmental has shared his five cheap and easy hacks to deter wasps this summer.
And don’t worry, you don’t have to spend the money and invest in something crazy expensive, because according to Adam, a 1 cent hack is just enough.
Use your change
According to Adam, wasps cannot stand the smell of copper.
So if you have any 1p or 2p coins in your pocket, you can put them to good use thanks to this trick.
Adam advised: “Place 1p and 2p coins around your outdoor space, along the table and in plant pots, to keep these pests at bay.
“You can also place a copper coin in a bag of water and hang it on door handles in your home and outside to deter wasps from getting close.”
Get some oil
Not only this, but Adam also shared that essential oils can prevent wasps from entering your garden.
He added: “Citronella is a classic repellent and comes from lemongrass. It is usually added to candles that can be lit outdoors during meals to boost the atmosphere and deter wasps.
“Tea tree is another scent that wasps hate, but finding a tea tree candle can be tricky. Post instead bowls of tea tree and water around your outdoor space and along your dining table.
“Basil and garlic are two other scents that naturally deter wasps. Therefore, consider placing pots of basil along your barbecue table.
Quick and easy ways to get rid of slugs and snails in your garden
“When it comes to garlic, you can plan on a garlic-infused spread or add it to water and spray in areas you don’t want wasps to be attracted to.”
Caffeine solution
Moreover, if you are a coffee drinker and have some coffee powder in your cupboard, then you are in luck.
To ensure that wasps leave your garden in peace this summer, all you need to do is put some coffee powder in a heatproof bowl and light it until the grains glow.
Tips to keep pests out of your garden
- Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier over your flower beds.
- Fill open containers with beer and place them in soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with neem oil to repel ants, flies and spiders.
- Dust your flower beds with diatomaceous earth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of dish soap, 10 drops of peppermint oil and 4 cups of water and spray on flower beds.
- Place eggshells around your plants to protect them from snails.
Adam explained: “The burning coffee powder gives off smoke and an odor that wasps cannot tolerate.
“Don’t worry about using fresh coffee; if you have a coffee maker, leftover coffee grounds work just as well.
“Be aware that the coffee grounds get very hot, so keep them out of reach of little ones! As for smoke, almost all smoke will bother wasps, meaning incense sticks are a great addition to your outdoor companionship. Moreover, they also smell wonderful!”
Cover
Not only this, but a super easy way to stop wasps from flying around your garden is to simply cover your food and drinks.
The expert suggested: “This is because they are attracted to sweet smells and hunt for food and water.”
Common garden pests
Common pests in the garden should not be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work to get rid of them and prevent them from returning.
Aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly)
Aphids are very common and can affect plant growth. They have small, soft, pear-shaped bodies and are usually green or black. You may see them clustered on the stem of tender shoots – look especially under the leaves – or you may find a sticky substance on your plants that tells you that aphids have been sucking on the sap there.
White fly
These small white-winged insects are related to aphids, are only 1 or 2 mm long, and as adults look very much like white moths. They are found on the undersides of leaves and prefer younger, fresher leaves. They fly in clusters if you disturb them. Their life cycle only lasts three weeks, so infection can occur very quickly.
Slugs
An unmissable, plump-looking body plus small sensory tentacles on its head. Snails move on one muscular foot. They range in scale from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; limax cinereoniger species can comfortably grow larger than 20 cm.
Diamond Moth Caterpillar
Cabbage moth caterpillars happily make their way to the heart of the vegetables. The caterpillars are distinguished in shades of yellow or brown-green without hair.
Meal Bug
Mealybugs are small oval insects with a white, powdery wax coating. There are several varieties, many of which resemble legs coming out of their sides and backs. In their earliest stages of life, it is entirely possible to mistake them for fungi and not recognize them as insects at all.
Not only this, but Adam also revealed that the color of your clothes can also play a role, as he shared: “Wasps are attracted to light and bright colours, so choose muted or dark colors for your summer outfit.
“If you want to wear something cheerful, choose red! Wasps can’t see red, so it’s a safe choice!”
Bag it in
Finally, if you have a paper bag lying around, don’t throw it in the trash; this can help deter wasps.
The pro concluded: “Hang it close and wasps will think it’s a rival hive and stay away.
“It sounds simple, but it really works!”
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