Getting wasps to buzz off

Keep those pesky wasps off of you this season by avoiding florals and perfumes. CREDIT: UNSPLASH

Getting wasps to buzz off

It’s wasp season, and anybody hoping to spend time outdoors may benefit from this list of tips for avoiding these painful critters

ELENI KOPSAFTIS

It's back to school time at the university, and, if you are a bus-taking student, you may have noticed the wasps that like to hang around the university bus loop and sometimes accompany riders into the bus itself.

It's not fun, but what are you to do? It is wasp season after all!

In Ontario, wasp colonies are the most numerous in late summer and early fall. Unlike the gentle bumblebee, who is round and fuzzy, the wasp is large, pointed, and infamously aggressive. It is also capable of stinging its target multiple times.

As you navigate the outdoors this season, use these tips to avoid and mitigate wasp stings.

Cut the sweets

Wasps love sweet things. Save the snacks and soda for the indoors whenever possible to avoid attracting any unwanted visitors. If you must bring food and drinks outside, keep them covered. Use containers or good quality plastic wrap to do so, and also make sure to seal (or stay away from) any waste bins.

If your yard has fruit trees, harvest the fruit as soon as they’re ripe and pick up any that have fallen from their branches.

Think this is enough? Food and drink aren’t the only sweet things wasps like.

Ease off on the cologne and perfumes for a while. Wasps are attracted to strong smells and will be drawn right to you.

Be wary of florals

The wasp’s attraction to sweet things is primarily motivated by its search for flowers.

Got a garden? Be especially cautious when you’re tending to it. You’ll also want to walk on the far end of the sidewalk if your route passes several flower beds.

With that said, wasps will assume anything bright is a flower. You might be eager to sport that new yellow tank top or a lovely floral sundress before the cold sets in, but maybe save it for the indoors.

Just walk away

As tempting as it might be to shoo wasps away, you might end up doing more harm than good.

According to a Canadian research team out of Simon Fraser University, swatting at or squashing wasps will cause them to release pheromones that attract nearby wasps. If this happens, that pesky bug will turn into a small group of them. Plus, a failed attempt to kill a wasp will aggravate it. After that, you’re almost guaranteed a sting.

Instead, try calmly walking away from them. Hopefully, they’ll have left the area by the time you return to whatever you were doing.

If you find a wasp nest, leave it alone. Only consider removing it during winter months when the nest has been completely abandoned. For large or problematic nests, contact a pest control service.

If you’re willing to put a bit of extra effort in, there are some pretty effective ways of dissuading wasps from approaching you.

The scent of peppermint is too extreme for most bugs to handle. Sprinkle a drop or two of peppermint essential oil on your wrists to keep wasps far from you. Alternatively, you can soak some cotton pads with the oil and leave them around the house or yard.

To keep wasps out of your garden, consider planting some citronella, thyme, or spearmint. Yet again, the smell will deter wasps and possibly even other insects.

If you plan on spending some time outside, you can also leave a bowl of sugar water somewhere away — at least 25 feet — from the area you’re spending time in. This will keep the wasps busy for a while.

moving it during winter months when the nest has been completely abandoned. For large or problematic nests, contact a pest control service.

Repel them

If you’re willing to put a bit of extra effort in, there are some pretty effective ways of dissuading wasps from approaching you.

The scent of peppermint is too extreme for most bugs to handle. Sprinkle a drop or two of peppermint essential oil on your wrists to keep wasps far from you. Alternatively, you can soak some cotton pads with the oil and leave them around the house or yard.

To keep wasps out of your garden, consider planting some citronella, thyme, or spearmint. Yet again, the smell will deter wasps and possibly even other insects.

If you plan on spending some

time outside, you can also leave a bowl of sugar water somewhere away — at least 25 feet — from the area you’re spending time in. This will keep the wasps busy for a while.

Still got stung?

Despite your best efforts, sometimes they just aren't enough. Wasp stings can happen and they’re painful, but they’re also usually completely harmless. If you get stung by a wasp, mitigate any pain by applying an ice pack to the affected area. If you know you’re severely allergic, keep your EpiPen on you at all times.

If at any point after getting stung you begin to experience hives, dizziness, or difficulty breathing, have someone take you to the ER or contact emergency services immediately.