9 ways pubs can ward off wasps

17-Aug-2022 - Last updated on 17-Aug-2022 at 09:50 GMT

Insect repellent: avoiding having bright colours in your garden is one tip to deter wasps from buzzing around your customers (image: Getty/marcophotos)

With summer well under way and the warm weather bringing out all creatures great and small, we’ve put together a few tips on how operators and deter wasps from buzzing around their customers in the garden.

1. Secure bins

Ensure any waste is in a bin with a tightly fitting lid and are at a distance from your garden if possible.

2. Special plants

Some plants are good at deterring wasps so planting flowers such as marigolds and geraniums or herbs such as mint and basil can not only enhance the look of your garden and provide ingredients for dishes, but also help keep wasps away.

3. Wasp trap

You can make a wasp trap by using something like a large bottle with the top swan off and inverted inside the bottom of the bottle and placing a treat that will attract the wasps inside and placing it away from where people are eating to help entice them away from guests.

4. Maintenance advice

Ensure all cracks in windows or door frames are filled in to prevent wasps getting inside the pub.

A good time to do this is late autumn when most wasps have died or early spring before nests are active.

In the pub garden, filling in rodent holes and burrows with dirt can also help prevent wasps from nesting there.

5. Homemade repellents

Natural deterrents can be made using ingredients such as peppermint oil mixed with water. Other examples of this are mixing clove, geranium and lemongrass essential oils, combined with soap and can also be used.

You could also set up a station with cotton wool balls soaked in essential oil, such as the earlier mentioned peppermint oil and placed in areas such as under the eaves, as this is a common place for nests.

The sprays should be used on outside areas wasps are likely to build homes such as ledges and under eaves.

6. Dummy nests

Installing fake wasp nests can also help keep the insects away from the pub. As they are territorial, they can be discouraged by the presence of a potential rival hive.

These can be bought or made using a stuffed grey or brown paper bag.

7. Clearing away

As wasps are attracted by food, ensure leftovers and empty plates are removed swiftly from those diners in the garden to help stop the insects from continuing to buzz around customers who have finished eating.

8. Powder option

Dry powders such as talc or cinnamon can be used to treat nests to drive them off. Wasps often live in abandoned burrows and these powders can be scattered generous around the burrow entrance.