The garden is an extension of the home, and in the right weather conditions it can be the best part of a home. Whether you like to work, study, exercise or relax in the garden, it seems that being surrounded by nature is good for the soul. Gardens are also great places to socialize and eat, and what could be better than a barbecue on a fine summer day with family and friends?
When we’re trying to make the most of our garden it’s very unfortunate when tiny insects ruin our fun, and while flies and other insects might be undesirable and unhygienic, wasps strike the most fear into our heart.
The Sting
Bees have a sting, but they have a good reputation, as happy bumbling insects carefully making honey for our toast. Their sting can make you very uncomfortable, but it’s hard to be angry with a bee when you realize it took its own life, kamikaze style, in order to dispatch that tiny sting.
Wasps, on the other hand, can dispatch as many stings as they like without feeling any consequences, like a fighter jet with an endless supply of fuel and ammo. This is why we’re scared of wasps, and why we dance around, ducking and diving when they are present.
Eliminating Wasps From Your Garden
Before you use harmful chemicals to tackle the wasp problem, consider the repercussions. Wasps are part of the natural balance, so if you wipe out every wasp in the area you may find that other insect populations will grow without them. This could mean your flowers or vegetables get chomped by a growing caterpillar or aphid population. You should also consider the impact of poisons and pesticides on wildlife and plant life in the garden, as well as any pets or children who spend time in the garden.
There are a number of ways to stop wasps from ruining your barbecue without massacring them with pesticides. One of the easiest and most efficient solutions is to simply draw any wasps to another area of the garden. Jars of jam or other sweet, sticky food will attract wasps and keep them off your dinner.
There are a few insectivorous plants which can solve a wasp problem, including Sarracenias. They attract wasps and other insects, before trapping them, smothering them and consuming them. The Venus Fly trap is one of the better-known insectivorous plants, but it can’t eat wasps.
Think twice before using traps and other devices to hold wasps prisoner – when they are trapped they can emit a pheromone which will alert other wasps in the area to their plight. It can lead to more wasps descending on the area and the problem getting worse rather than better.
Of course, you should take hygiene precautions to ensure that flies and other insects cannot get to meat, salad, and any other food at your barbecue. Don’t let wasps ruin your barbecue. Don’t be scared, just grab a jam jar and position it at the other end of the garden and get back to flipping those burgers!
Alan Derry is a pest control writer and a wasp enthusiast writing on numerous topics to do with them for more information see Sankeys pest control in Brighton
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