7 ways to deter wasps from your home

As summer rolls around and we’re all starting to sit out in the garden and leave our windows wide open, wasps can become a nuisance.

Who wants flying creatures with stingers infesting their food, disrupting their garden, and entering their homes? Luckily, there are plenty of natural ways to deter wasps, as well as some approved DIY tricks.

So, if you’re tired of wasps ruining your summer, it’s time to take back control of your home. Join us as we guide you through quick and easy solutions so you can restore the peace.

If the issue persists, you may have a wasp nest around your home. We advise you strongly against attempting to eradicate the nest on your own, and instead, contact Premier Pest Control for professional wasp nest removal.

Know your enemy: Common UK wasps

Did you know that there are 9000 species of wasps in the UK? However, they’re not all out to get you.

Some solitary wasps (like the Mud Dauber or Mason Wasp) are actually beneficial and rarely aggressive. You won’t have to worry about them stinging you, your pets, or your children. In fact, the two main species that tend to cause the most trouble in the UK are the common wasp and the German wasp.

1. Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)

With their yellow and black stripes, this type of wasp is the one you’ll see most often hanging around your plants or chasing you around your home.

You’ll find they have a sharp sting and are easily irritated, especially in late summer when their natural food sources dry up. These wasps are social, living in large colonies, and they love nesting in lofts, garden sheds, wall cavities, and underground.

2. German wasp (Vespula germanica)

Similar to the common wasp, German wasps are yellow and black in colour, but they also have a trio of black dots on their face.

They are slightly chunkier and are more yellow than their common cousins. However, they’re both highly sociable, and these wasps have a more aggressive temperament, so don’t go anywhere near their nests!

Keep a lookout for them near compost heaps and hollow trees, and inside lofts and wall cavities.

Other common wasps include

• Red wasp (Vespula rufa): Smaller and slightly redder than the common wasp and less aggressive.
• European hornet (Vespa crabro): Smaller and more brown in colour. These are docile unless their nest is threatened.
• Tree wasp (Dolichovespula sylvestris): Commonly found near trees and shrubs, these can be aggressive when disturbed. They’re black and yellow with a narrow face.

Natural deterrents

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to keep wasps away from your home. Sometimes, the most effective products are already sitting in your home.

1. Essential oils

That’s right, essential oils are a great way to send the wasps flying off. Some scents wasps can’t stand to be around, so it’s only just that you lather your home in these smells.

• Peppermint oil—Wasps seem to loathe the strong menthol scent, so place this around your home or invest in some peppermint-scented candles.
• Clove oil – Particularly good when combined with other oils, this rick and spicy smell sends wasps in the opposite direction.
• Lemongrass oil – Wasps hate the scent, but it can also add a fresh, earthy smell to our home (it’s a win-win).
• Geranium oil – This floral essential oil works great when paired with peppermint.

You can add these oils to an oil diffuser, soak cotton balls in them and leave them around your home and garden, or make your own spray with the following:

• 500ml of water
• 1 teaspoon of washing-up liquid (helps it stick to surfaces)
• 10 drops of peppermint oil
• 5 drops of clove oil
• 5 drops of lemongrass oil

Spray this solution on plants and around your home to keep wasps at bay, including doors, windows, and any other entry points.

2. Wasp-repelling plants

By planting the following shrubs and herbs in your garden, you’ll notice the number of wasps visiting you in the summer dramatically declines.

• Mint – A strong-smelling herb that puts wasps off.
• Basil – Place in outdoor seating areas and in the kitchen.
• Citronella – Often used in candles, but planting the real thing does the trick too.
• Marigolds – Wasps hate the smell, but pollinators like bees love them.
• Wormwood (Artemisia) – Its strong scent is highly effective at keeping wasps away.

3. Soap and water

Who knew something as basic as soap and water could keep wasps away? Now you do!

Get a few dashes of washing-up liquid and add them with some cold water into a spray bottle. Then, go around your garden or home and spray the surfaces where wasps seem to be lingering.

It breaks the surface tension of their wings and will have them running back to their nests!

4. Lemons and cloves

Something many people will already likely have in their cupboards and fruit bowls, these citrus scents can overwhelm a wasp’s senses, disorienting them.

So, slice a lemon in half and push a few whole cloves into the flesh; you can leave this on a table where wasps tend to hover, inside your home or in your garden.

5. Get rid of food waste

While this isn’t exactly a natural repellent, keeping your home clean of old rotting food and rubbish will make a big difference in deterring wasps.

Make sure you empty out the bins regularly, or just keep the lids closed to prevent wasps from trying to worm their way in. Keep meats and sugary foods out of reach, as these can be the most enticing scents to wasps.

DIY traps and decoys

Our DIY traps will only take a few minutes to create, but they’re bound to elevate the atmosphere of your home without pesky wasps flying around.

6. Honey bottle trap

If you didn’t know, wasps are very attracted to sweet-scented things, so it only makes sense to entice them with something they can’t resist.

For this, all you’ll need is some scissors, an empty 2-litre plastic bottle, some fruit, jam, or beer, and some tape or a piece of string. Then, do the following:

1. Cut a third of the bottle off at the top to create a large opening.
2. Invert the top and place it into the bottom part like a funnel.
3. Fill the bottom half with a sweet filling of your choosing.
4. Add tape around the edges to hang it up or poke holes to place it from a tree or fence post.

7. Fake wasp nest

If a wasp thinks another hive has already made a home out of your space, then they’ll try to stay away.

They’re very territorial creatures, so creating your own fake wasp nest is an easy and harmless way to deter them from your home. All you will need is a brown paper bag or grey fabric, some string, and a bit of stuffing (newspaper or bubble wrap).

Get your bag or bubble wrap and scrunch it up so it forms a ball-like shape. Then, stuff this inside the bag or grey fabric to create what resembles a wasp nest— you can use tape to secure the design in place. Then simply thread some string through and add it to a tree or near your kitchen door!

Not working? That’s where we come in

If you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to be working, then you may be dealing with an infestation that won’t go away with a simple DIY hack.

Luckily for you, our team is highly trained in removing wasp nests. You’ll often find that if a horde of wasps won’t leave your home alone, there’s probably a nest hiding in your loft, under roof tiles, or decking.

Simply call us today for a quote, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. We offer prompt call-outs across the North West and discreet, expert help with any pest problem.