Photo by Dan Kb on Unsplash
From beach and pool days to camping and hiking, summertime is a real treat. But it's also a time when pesky bugs make their grand entrance, especially wasps. These winged troublemakers love the hot weather and pack a real wallop — one sting can leave you yelping in pain.
With these clever DIY hacks shared by Redditors, you'll be able to keep them away using cheap materials, and enjoy all that summer has to offer.
One Redditor shares how a beach bar used coffee grounds that were set ablaze to help get rid of wasps while vacationing in Greece. "When we were visited by 6 or 7 wasps, the waiter brought over a metal bowl (similar to an ashtray shape) with coffee grounds in it and lit it. It smoked like incense and the wasps left us alone," the user writes. Genius!
"One of the best [life pro tips] I ever learned was to hang up a decoy wasp nest in the area where the wasps are bothering you," writes another user, adding, "It's super easy to make one: just take a brown paper bag and stuff it full of something so that it fills out. Twist the top closed and stick a string or wire through and hang it up. The wasps will think that a rival nest has been established and clear out of there." Beating them at their own game, huh? We salute you, good sir.
"My go-to for getting rid of yellowjackets from a ground nest was to make a trap," writes one Redditor. "First cut the top off a 2 liter soda bottle. Invert the cone part to make a funnel of sorts and put it back into the bottle. Tape around the seam and put 500 ml of apple juice in the bottom. The wasps will fly in to slurp some of the juice and be unable to get out." The user said this method got rid of a wasp nest in just three days.
Another user suggests placing a bird feeder to keep wasps at bay. "The steady traffic of birds keeps wasps away," writes the Redditor. Other users agreed with this hack, with one sharing how wasps stopped perching on the maple tree outside their home after they hung a "wooden bird house craft" on it.
Related: 7 Best Mosquito Traps for Conquering Bugs on a Budget
Extracted from the seeds of the neem tree, a plant native to the Indian subcontinent, neem oil is known for its powerful pest-repelling properties. It's also a popular, eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides that help keep your home and garden bug-free without causing harm to the environment. Make a solution of neem oil mixed with water and spray it in places you'd like to keep wasp-free.
Related: 7 Organic Pesticides You Can Make at Home To Protect Your Plants From Pests
Fipronil is a powerful insecticide that works by disrupting the nervous system of wasps to effectively get rid of them. By applying products containing fipronil around the areas wasps frequent, you can deter them from setting up shop near your home. "Fipronil in cat food makes an excellent wasp-free year," writes one user, adding, "Just put it somewhere the squirrels can't mess with." Don't worry — the substance is safe for cats and dogs.
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A simple solution of soapy water can actually be a potent wasp-killer, writes one Redditor. By spraying this concoction directly on the wasps and their nests, you can disrupt their exoskeletons and breathing. To make the solution even more potent, add some lemon juice and vinegar. "[Use] soapy water for wasps," writes the user. "But don't walk barefoot around the area after."
On top of helping your home smell like a woody oasis, sandalwood is also a handy tool in shooing away wasps and other insects. The smoke from the incense is a big turn-off for these winged intruders and will help keep them away. "I use sandalwood incense," writes one Redditor. "It smells wonderful too!"
Related: Where to Vacation if You Hate Bugs (and Where to Avoid)
