Without chemicals
Drive away wasps: This is how the intrusive insects move away voluntarily
Wasps are a problem in summer, especially for allergy sufferers
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By July at the latest, you can no longer sit undisturbed in the garden or on the terrace without being harassed by wasps. However, you shouldn’t kill the animals; instead, there are tried and tested ways to scare the insects away.
One might think that wasps have no decency: As soon as there is something edible on the table in summer (regardless of whether it is sweet or savory), the insects pounce on it and – in the truest sense of the word – cut off a slice of it. However, the workers not only satisfy their own hunger, but also provide their offspring with the protein-rich and sugary snacks. And since they don’t even stop at drinks, the chances of being stung by a wasp between July and August are high. The danger is particularly great for children and adults who react allergically to a sting. The question arises: How can you get rid of the annoying wasps without killing them?
Why shouldn’t you kill wasps?
Apart from the fact that wasps are protected in Germany and cannot be killed, there are numerous reasons why the yellow-black insects are quite useful: They hunt other pests such as mosquitoes and flies or even aphids – and thus contribute to biological pest control. But wasps themselves also serve as a food source for other animals, such as birds. In addition, insects actively help pollinate plants in spring and thus keep our ecosystem in balance. For this reason, the Nature Conservation Association (NABU) also advises against purchasing deadly wasp traps that are filled with juice or beer: “The animals die a painful death in the liquid. In addition, only old animals go into the trap. The active colony will not decimated”.
A notice: Wasps become particularly aggressive when they wave their arms around wildly or blow on the insects. This is due to the carbon dioxide contained in your breath, which triggers a kind of alarm signal in the animals.
How can you get rid of wasps?
Of course there is also Live trapsthat you can use to drive away wasps. Alternatively, the following home remedies should also help to scare the animals away:
- Fresh basil is said to have a deterrent effect on wasps if you plant the herbs in your immediate area.
- The same apparently applies to garlic: cut several cloves and – if it doesn’t bother you – leave them on the table.
- Acidic fruits such as lemons or oranges are said to be an effective remedy against wasps if you cut them into slices and then add scented cloves.
- Essential oils such as peppermint or lavender, citronella, clove or tea tree oil have a similar effect on wasps.
- Smoke also knocks the insects into the air: To do this, light some coffee powder in a fireproof bowl and place it on the table.
- According to the State Association for Bird Protection (LBV), a light spray of clean water is also said to be effective against wasps, as they mistake the damp water for rain and flee.
Tip: To prevent insects from flying into your home, you can attach custom-fit insect screens to the windows and Balcony doors attach (have).
Wasp nest discovered: what to do?
Even if (according to NABU) only the “unproblematic wasp species” tend to build their nests in bushes, behind wooden cladding or in roller shutters, many people still feel disturbed by this. Families with small children and people with allergies in particular are understandably uncomfortable with insects constantly in their vicinity. But how do you actually behave when you have discovered a nest – or observed how one is being built? It is very important that you should never try to remove the wasp hole yourself. Instead, contact the relevant health or regulatory authority, a beekeeper or a professional pest controller. Apart from that, you should know that the animals leave their nest again in the fall, after which you can remove it yourself.
These myths are not true
There are numerous myths about how to get rid of wasps – but not all of them are true. Such as the following three examples.
- The Paper bag trick: It is said that you should hang up a brown paper bag that serves as a kind of dummy wasp net. There are even now weatherproof models to buy. But do they really help? The effect is rather questionable, at least NABU says and points out the following: “In general, one can say that all species whose nests can be seen – i.e. freely hanging in the bushes or under the roof of the shed – can be assigned to the unproblematic species that disappear early. ” Of course, the attempt can’t do any harm.
- No colourful clothes wear: We often hear that colored textiles attract wasps just as much as flowers. But is that really the case? In fact, the insectologist Prof. Dr. Heinz Mehlhorn from the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf has a completely different opinion. In an interview with Bild he makes it clear: “They don’t feed on flowers, but mainly on insects and spiders. They don’t react to colors, but to smells. They find everything sweet irresistible.”
- lying around Copper coins Drive away wasps: Seriously, who really believes that a few cents on the table will scare away insects? Those who believe the myth to be true should be told at this point: There are neither well-founded studies that prove this nor scientific literature about it.
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