6 Incredible Plants That Deter Wasps | Keeping Wasps at Bay

Are you in search of some plants that deter wasps? Scroll through the details of this article to solve your ‘wasps’ problem right away!

Flowers are usually the highlight of any garden. They are bright, colorful, have a beautiful appearance, and can instantly brighten your mood. But what usually goes understated is that flowers bring with them the nuisance of wasps and bees. To safely eradicate wasps from your premises, you need to understand the factors that encourage wasp infestation. After that, you can plant some plants that deter wasps or try other natural remedies instead of harsh chemicals and insecticides.

Plants That Deter Wasps

While they are essential for an ecosystem, the threat of a wasp sting is not what you want every time you spend time in your home garden or want to enjoy a little picnic outside. To avoid them hovering around your flowers, you can plant certain herbs and flowers which deter wasps naturally.

1. Marigold

There is no significant research on how marigold deters wasps, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence. Moreover, Marigold helps keep other pests at bay as well, which ultimately keeps wasps away who come to eat them.

2. Cucumber

The bitterness of the acidic cucumber peels and the chemical cucurbitacins keeps bees and wasps away. Therefore, spreading the peels of cucumbers in the garden or on the plants can deter wasps as well.

3. Geraniums

These beautiful flowers have little to no pollen and can keep the wasps away while enhancing your garden’s beauty. Additionally, the red geraniums are especially useful because wasps are not attracted much to red color.

4. Fragrant Herbs

Wasps have a strong sense of smell, and they avoid such plants. As a result, a few powerful aromatic herbs are enough to keep them at bay. Some of the herbs that you can plant in your garden include:

1. Thyme
2. Mint
3. Wormwood – This herb contains absinthe, which can be toxic to insects. Hence, wasps avoid coming near them.
4. Peppermint
5. Eucalyptus
6. Spearmint
7. Basil
8. Citronella
9. Lemongrass

5. Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal is a flowering plant coming from the mint family. It has a similar fragrance to mint and does not attract wasps due to the pungent smell.

6. Pitcher Plant

Although it is not necessarily a deterring plant, it is carnivorous and traps insects for nutrition. This plant will kill the wasps, which is not very good for the ecosystem but is helpful enough in keeping them at bay.

What Things Attract Wasps

Recognizing what attracts wasps and the efforts necessary to keep them away can be beneficial to avoid their infestation. Let’s understand what attracts wasps.

1. A Safe Haven

The chance of finding a haven is one of the main reasons wasps might accumulate in and around your home. Wasps can construct a nest in insulated walls, fissures, and hidden gaps and cavities of your house.

2. Leftover Meat

Wasps like to look for pieces of meat on their hunting expeditions in the spring and summer seasons. They prefer protein-rich diets, so leftover meat and other food scraps in your trash bin will readily attract them.

3. Availability Of Insects

Wasps are wonderful garden pest terminators. It only becomes a problem if they want to settle down and start a nest on your property due to the plentiful food source.

4. Sugary Treats

Wasps change their minds when the fall and winter seasons arrive. They’ll substitute sugary foods for protein-based items. Wasps will aggressively and persistently hover over the fruits and the fallen fruits if you have fruit trees.

5. Flowers

Don’t be shocked if wasps start swarming in if you have a backyard with many flowering plants. Flowers are attractive to wasps for two reasons. The first is nectar, a different type of food for them. The other reason is that they enjoy the scent of flowers. But there are many plants that deter wasps, which you can know about below.

How To Deter Wasps Infestation

There are several tricks you could employ to deter wasps and thwart the attempted invasion of these insects in and around your home.

The best remedy to deter wasps, besides using plants that deter wasps, is homemade repellents that are effective as well as not that harmful, compared to other more aggressive methods like using pesticides and harsh chemicals.

1. Peppermint Oil

You can lessen the likelihood of wasps coming indoors by simply putting peppermint oil on cotton pads and leaving them around the perimeter of your house.

2. Baby Powder

Baby powder is a simple technique that may help keep wasps away. Wasps will probably keep away if you use this on your body because talc is said to repel them. This is a very cost-effective approach to deter wasps. This alternative, however, is totally anecdotal.

3. Soap and Water

Wasps can be deterred by spraying any repelling solution on your property with a simple soap-and-water solution. Since their breathing is affected by soap, they can die nearly instantly.

4. White Vinegar and Water

Use this simple solution to get rid of any wasps that won’t leave you alone. Get a spray bottle to combine equal parts water and white vinegar and spray it wherever you suspect an infestation.

5. Essential Oils in a Blend

You can use a combination of essential oils to repel these pests. Lemongrass, geranium, and clove oil are the most effective for making a repellant blend. Fill a spray bottle halfway with water and add a few drops of each of the three oils. Then you can use it as a repellant. To prevent wasps from entering your home, spray the solution around windows and door frames.

As you can see, there are various simple and effective methods for repelling or killing wasps that do not require the use of harsh chemicals or pre-made goods.

These are also low-cost options, so you won’t have to spend a bunch to keep these pests away. Doing so will make it easy for you to keep wasps out of your house and garden, allowing you to enjoy the summer without fear.

What Can You Do To Avoid Wasps

If you find yourself confronting wasps in a situation, you must exercise the following precautions.

• Wasps don’t usually sting unless they’re startled or provoked. Therefore, make no sudden movements or swat at them. Keep your distance from the nest and walk away from it, or let the insects fly away on their own.
• Seek refuge in a closed car or building, and enter in such a way that the insects stay outside. If necessary, take a gentle stroll away or softly “blow” them away. Only if you’ve disturbed a nest and hear “crazy” buzzing, shield your face with your hands and flee the location as quickly as possible.
• Light-colored clothing is recommended, such as khakis, beige, or blue. Avoid wearing clothes that are vividly colored, patterned, or black.
• Perfumes, colognes, scented soaps, and powders have enticing fragrances, so avoid them. Remember not to go barefoot or wear sandals in locations where flowering plants that attract wasps are present.

Homemade Cures for Wasp Stings

Do not panic if you are ever stung by wasps and try these methods instead for instant relief:

1. First and foremost, you must locate a sting remover.
2. To neutralize the venom of the sting, wash the affected area with vinegar.
3. After you’ve removed the sting, apply ice to the affected region.
4. You can get aspirin or paracetamol tablets over the counter if you find a pharmacist shop close to your home.
5. Do you have a basil plant in your house? Crush the leaves and apply the juice to the affected area.
6. Aloe Vera gel has the ability to heal the wound. As a result, you are free to use it and there are no negative side effects.
7. Apply a lemon slice on the wound as it the lemon juice will help in neutralizing the toxins.
8. Similarly, you might apply a crushed garlic clove to the affected area.
9. If you locate copper in a corner of your house, press it on the sting area for 10 to 20 minutes.
10. Likewise, a piece of onion can demonstrate its abilities in providing relief. Simply thrush the onion and apply it to the wound with an adhesive bandage for a few hours.

Try these methods, and you’ll almost certainly feel better right away.

Final Takeaway

Planting these herbs and flowers is a natural way to eliminate wasps without using any expensive, harmful chemicals in your garden. Therefore, try to grow these flowers and shrubs that do not attract bees and wasps but deter them altogether. Some of these also include ferns, evergreen shrubs, and roses.