WITH summer well and truly here – if you want to relax and enjoy the sunshine in your garden, without being attacked by wasps, then you’ve come to the right place.
Whilst wasps are great for flowers, they can be a real nuisance.
But fear not, as pest control expert Adam Juson from Merlin Environmental has shared his five cheap and easy hacks to deter wasps this summer.
And don’t worry, you won’t have to splash the cash and invest in anything crazily expensive, as according to Adam, a 1p hack will do just the trick.
According to Adam, wasps can’t stand the scent of copper.
So if you’ve got any spare 1p or 2p coins in your pocket, you can put them to good use thanks to this trick.
Adam advised: “Placing 1p and 2p coins around your outside area, along the table and in plant pots, to keep these pests at bay.
“Alternatively, you could place a copper coin into a bag of water and hang it on door handles around your home and your outside area to prevent wasps from coming near.”
Not only this, but Adam also shared that essential oils can put a stop to wasps entering your garden.
He added: “Citronella is a classic repellent and comes from lemongrass. It’s most commonly added to candles which can be lit during al fresco meal times to boost the atmosphere and deter wasps.
“Tea tree is another scent that wasps hate but you might struggle to find a tea tree candle. Instead, place bowls of tea tree and water around your outside area and along your dinner table.
“Basil and garlic are two other scents that will naturally deter wasps. So consider placing pots of basil along your BBQ table.
“When it comes to garlic, you could either plan a garlic-infused spread or add to water and spray in areas that you don’t want wasps to be attracted to.”
In addition to this, if you’re a coffee drinker and have some coffee powder in your cupboard, then you’re in luck.
To ensure that wasps leave your garden alone this summer, all you’ll need to do is simply put some coffee powder in a fire-proof bowl and light it until the granules glow.
Adam explained: “The burning coffee powder gives off smoke and scent that wasps can’t stand.
“Don’t worry about using fresh coffee – if you have a coffee machine, leftover grounds work just as well.
“Remember that the coffee grounds will get very hot so keep them out of reach of little ones! On the topic of smoke, almost all smoke will disturb wasps which means incense sticks are a great addition to your outside gathering. Plus, they smell great too!”
Not only this, but a super simple way to avoid wasps flying around in your garden is to simply cover up your food and drinks.
The expert suggested: “This is because they’re attracted to sweet smells and will be on the hunt for food and water.”
Common pests in the garden don’t need to be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work on getting rid of them and preventing them from returning.
Aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly)
Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap.
Whitefly
These small white-winged insects are related to aphids, at just 1 or 2 mm in length, and look very much like white moths as adults. They can be found on the underside of leaves, preferring younger, fresher leaves. They fly in clusters when you disturb them. Their lifecycle is only three weeks long, which means an infestation can occur very rapidly.
Slugs
An unmissable, squashy-looking body plus small sensory tentacles on its head. Slugs move along on one muscular foot. They range in scale from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; limax cinereoniger species can grow comfortably beyond 20 cm in length.
Cabbage Moth Caterpillar
Cabbage moth caterpillars happily make their way into the heart of the vegetables, The caterpillars are distinguished in shades of yellow or browny green with no hair.
Mealy Bug
Mealybugs are tiny oval-shaped insects that have a white, powdery wax coating. There are several different species, many of which have what looks like legs coming from their sides and back end. In their earliest stage of life, it’s entirely possible to mistake them for fungus and not recognise them as insects at all.
Not only this, but Adam revealed that the colour of your clothes can also have a part to play, as he shared: “Wasps are attracted to light and bright colours so choose muted or dark colours for your summer outfit.
“If you do want to wear something bright, then opt for red! Wasps can’t see red so it’s a safe choice!”
Finally, if you’ve got a spare paper bag lying around, don’t put it in the recycling bin – as this can help to deter wasps.
The pro concluded: “Hang it nearby and wasps will think it’s a rival hive and stay clear from the area.
“It sounds simple but it really works!”
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