This is how you drive away the insects

the essentials in brief

• It makes sense to avoid drinking and eating in the garden and to remove windfalls so that wasps have no incentive to come into your garden.
• Wasps do not like the scents of essential oils such as clove, tea tree, lavender, frankincense, lemon or peppermint.
• Strongly scented plants such as basil, lavender, peppermint, tomato or lemon balm also keep wasps away.
• Burning coffee powder won't help against wasps.

These home remedies help against wasps

On the Internet, in various magazines, on television, on YouTube: the same ones are reliably diving every year in the summer advices to drive away the annoying wasps. Unfortunately, the same nonsense is repeated over and over again just as reliably. The fact is that a large part of the supposedly "deadly effective against wasps" home remedies would at most elicit a tired smile from the animals if they could smile. For this reason, we have summarized here what actually helps - and in the next section, which measures are nonsensical.

No outdoor food or drinks

By far the best method of not attracting wasps in the first place is this: Refrain from consuming food and drinks outdoors and you will have peace and quiet from the beasts. Sounds crazy? It is - because such a radical measure would mean doing without a barbecue evening with friends, coffee and cake on the terrace or the cold ice cream during the lunch break. Instead, you can take a few precautionary measures to ensure that the animals have no chance to feast on sweet and savory things:

• Only serve food and (sweet) drinks shortly before consumption.
• Always cover the food outside well, cakes also belong under an airtight hood.
• Beverage bottles and glasses also have a cover.
• Preferably drink from straws, they don't have to be made of plastic.
• Uncooked macaroni or lemongrass stalks can be used as environmentally friendly straws.
• Both look great on the set table!
• Bring food and drinks into the house as soon as possible after eating.

The reason for these measures is to practically compromise between living in summer Outdoors and the wasp plague - which is all the more pronounced after a warm and dry spring, by the way Find. Wasps are guided by their sense of smell and quickly find their way to delicious, protein-rich and sweet treats. And once there is one, several quickly follow suit. Therefore, try to keep the olfactory attractants under lock and key as much as possible.

Essential oils

Essential oils keep wasps and mosquitoes away

Just as some smells reliably attract wasps, others are deterred. Various, intensely scented essential oils are therefore a good way to keep the animals away from the coffee table - At least as long as the sugary smell of cake and lemonade is no stronger than the aversion to the unloved Odor. So put at least one scent bowl on the coffee table and in the surrounding area and drip a few drops of the following remedies into it:

• Clove oil
• Tea tree oil
• Lavender oil
• peppermint oil
• lemon oil
• incense

Alternatively, you can also use incense sticks or scented cones of the corresponding aromas. But be careful: These smells cause headaches in some people and are therefore not suitable for everyone.

Strongly fragrant plants

Strongly scented plants such as

• Fragrant geraniums
• Lemon balm
• Peppermint and other mints
• lavender
• basil
• and tomatoes

are not particularly liked by wasps - just like other annoying insects such as mosquitoes - and are therefore avoided. These plants can be cultivated wonderfully in pots and placed all around on the terrace or balcony - and thus act as a barrier against various pests. A potty of lemon balm or basil on the coffee table also does its job, but it can also be quickly drowned out by other, more tempting smells.

Fresh garlic, chopped into small pieces and cloths dipped and laid out in salmiak are also said to chase the wasps away. But let's be honest: who would want the intense scent of garlic or salmiak in their noses over a cozy Sunday coffee?

Order in the garden

Those who keep their garden tidy have fewer problems with wasps. To do this, you don't have to flawlessly clear your beds of every weed, but rather follow these tips:

• Windfalls: The smell of sweet, rotting fruit is irresistible to wasps, which is why the animals look whole particularly attracted to fallen apples, pears, plums and other pome and stone fruit varieties feel. Therefore, collect windfalls regularly and dispose of them either odor-tight with the house or Organic waste or recycle it promptly.
• Rotten wood: Piles of wood in the garden are also irresistible for the pests, as the animals need the material - the rotten the better - to build nests and also like to settle in it.
• Animal carcasses: If you find a dead bird or other animal carcass in the garden, dispose of it as soon as possible. Wasps also eat carrion and are therefore attracted to the smell of corpses.

Digression

Aphids attract wasps

These home remedies are useless against wasps

Granted, there aren't too many effective remedies against wasps. In fact, it is not easy to keep the pests off your neck and sometimes the main thing is to be bothered as little as possible. However, you can safely save yourself the following remedies - they will not help. We explain why.

"Waspinator" or the crumpled up paper ball

Not so long ago, the so-called "Wasp Scare" or "Waspinator", which was supposed to reliably keep all wasps away, caused a sensation. All you have to do is crumple up a brown paper bag and hang it over the patio table - the wasps would mistake it for a strange nest and therefore stay away. Sounds too good to be true? It is, because the two annoying Wasp species - the Common wasp as well as the German wasp - Both nest in holes in the ground or caves and therefore cannot be deterred from such constructions. You simply do not recognize it as an alien nest. The wasp species, on the other hand, that live in similar-looking nests, do not bother you at the coffee table or otherwise. You don't have to keep these animals away, which is why the “Waspinator” does not serve its purpose.

Coffee smell

One often reads that the smell of coffee is absolutely hateful in wasps and is therefore a good repellent. In fact, anyone who sits at the Sunday coffee table outdoors can defend themselves against the intrusive animals had to confirm that the brown drink does not affect the presence or absence of Has wasps. The cake smell is simply more delicious, which is why the coffee is accepted. Even the burning of coffee beans or powder in a bowl remains ineffective and at most brings tears to your eyes and your guests.

Wasps don't like the smell of burnt coffee powder

Distract and lure you to another place

With this method, the wasps should be kept away from their own set table by placing a plate with cooked ham, grapes and other delicacies a few meters away. In principle, this trick works very well, but it harbors a danger: where there is plenty of food, many other wasps can also be found. And once enough of the animals have gathered in one place, they quickly fly on to the next source of food to escape the turmoil. Especially since wasps do not stay in one place, but also go to other feeding places.

Copper coins

This “insider tip” also belongs in the realm of fairy tales. Wasps doesn't care much whether you rub change between your fingers and distribute it on the table. The slight copper smell is easily drowned out by other tempting scents and therefore shows no effectiveness.

Colourful clothes

Wear only white or black clothes in summer, as colorful shirts and dresses attract wasps? Here, too, you don't have to go without your favorite lemon yellow shirt or pink summer dress, as wasps are only attracted by smells. In other words: The animals are not buzzing around you because of your colorful clothes, but because they are buzzed by your perfume or the intense scent of the detergent or washing machine. the fabric softener were attracted. It is therefore best to give preference to low-scented laundry detergents and forego floral body scents - and you will have peace and quiet from the pests.

Killing wasps is prohibited

All sorts of remedies against wasps are also available in stores: from wasp traps - electric or not - to defense spray, the sellers prepare against the animals as if for a war. But be careful: both catching and killing wasps is a criminal offense be fined up to EUR 50,000 or even imprisoned in accordance with the applicable catalogs of fines can. Wasps are - like all wild animals - under strict conditions natural reserve. However, the German law is a bit hypocritical at this point: The funds may be sold, but in no way used. Ergo, the purchase of wasp spray or a wasp trap is not punishable, but using it is.

frequently asked Questions

What helps against wasps in the apartment?

Install a close-meshed insect net in front of windows and doors in spring so that wasps and other insects cannot fly in and out of you in the first place. Also place pots with insect-repellent plants such as basil, lemon balm or lavender on the windowsill.

How likely is it, then, to actually be reported for killing wasps?

The likelihood of actually being fined 50,000 EUR for killing a wasp is actually negligible. Finally, the principle also applies here: where there is no plaintiff, there is no judge. But be careful: a neighbor who is unpopular or close to nature can actually report you for a wasp trap - and you will be convicted. The amount of the penalty depends on various factors.

How do I stop a wasp from stinging me?

Under no circumstances should you make hectic movements or try to scare the wasp away by waving or breathing on it - it will take both of these as an attack and will want to sting you. On the other hand, stay calm and just walk away.