How to keep yellow jackets away when eating outside?

What smell keeps yellow jackets away?

Wearing perfume or sweet-smelling cologne, shampoo, body spray, etc., will also attract these insects. Eliminating sweet smells on your property will help keep yellow jackets away. Yellow jackets are attracted to open trash.

How do you keep wasps away when eating outside?

Spray peppermint oil

Like citronella, peppermint oil also helps to keep the pests away. Create a DIY spray – by shaking a tablespoon of peppermint oil with four cups of water in a spray bottle – and spray it around your dining table before you eat, to help drive the wasps away and stop them from bothering you.

How do you get rid of yellow jackets while eating?

Cut up a few slices and leave them around your picnic or BBQ area. They stay away and you can enjoy your outdoor activities without fear of getting stung. Going along with a scented repellent as your solution, consider garlic clove and lemon. This simple, harmless ingredient is a natural wasp repellent.

How do you repel yellow jackets?

How to Keep Yellow Jackets Away
  1. Plant Wormwood.
  2. Use Fresh Cucumbers.
  3. Plant Spearmint.
  4. Use Peppermint Oil.
  5. Plant Thyme.
  6. Try an Essential Oil Blend.
  7. Plant Eucalyptus.
  8. Make Sugar Water Wasp Traps.

What kills yellow jackets instantly?

Treat the nest with pyrethrum aerosols such as Stryker 54 Contact Aerosol, PT 565 or CV-80D. Pyrethrum forms a gas which will fill the cavity, killing the yellow jackets on contact. Wait until the aerosol is dry, and then dust in the opening with insecticide dusts such as Tempo Dust .

Do dryer sheets repel yellow jackets?

A viral Reddit post says postal workers might put dryer sheets in your mailbox to prevent stings. Experts say there’s no evidence that would work. WASHINGTON — As the weather gets better, some unfriendly visitors might make an appearance outside your home: Yellow jackets and other wasps.

What smell do wasps hate?

Wasps have a strong sense of smell, which they use to find food sources. You can take advantage of this trait by using scents they dislike, such as peppermint, lemongrass, clove, and geranium essential oils, vinegar, sliced cucumber, bay leaves, scented herbs, and geranium flowers.

Does citronella keep yellow jackets away?

Citronella oil is typically used as a repellent for flying insects and may be effective against yellow jackets. … The aroma of the citronella will disperse when the candle is lit, keeping many flying insects away. Wormwood is the only plant currently thought to repel yellow jackets, according to Ask the Exterminator.

What keeps wasps and bees away?

How to Keep Bees and Wasps Away this Summer
  • Dryer Sheets. Bees and wasps hate the smell of a dryer sheet and will stay far away from it. …
  • Mothballs. Much like the dryer sheet approach, bees and wasps hate the smell of mothballs. …
  • Brown Paper Bags. Most bees and wasps are very territorial. …
  • Cloves.

Does vinegar repel yellow jackets?

Sugar, apple cider vinegar, and water – Mix equal portions of water and apple cider vinegar, then add a cup of sugar. The sugar will attract the wasp to the mixture, but the vinegar will kill it.

Does killing a yellow jacket attract more?

Killing a yellow jacket just makes the situation worse. If you kill one yellow jacket, it will release a pheromone which draws in all the other members of the colony. So although you might think you’ve gotten rid of the problem by killing one of the pests, you have actually made it much worse.


Can you starve yellow jackets?

If there are entrance holes in the ground, you can simply place a clear, glass bowl over the holes, which will prevent the yellow jackets from leaving the nest and cause them to starve.