Wasps are bothersome. They are those dark flying creatures that seem like bees, but in comparison, wasps appear more elongated, less hairy and they also have a somewhat narrower waist. Unlike bees, these tiny creatures may sting repeatedly.
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Often, wasp stings are painful, and you’re particularly unlucky if they sting you in areas such as the face. Therefore, you must know how to keep these tiny stinging creatures at bay, especially if you are working on your garden or mowing your lawn.
Why Do Wasps Sting People?
Wasps are helping us on taking other harmful insects as their food. Some people think that wasps attack people without doing anything to them but the truth is wasps only attack humans if they threaten their lives and disturb or destroy their houses.
Meaning, wasps attack happens due to a defense mechanism. Whenever they feel like someone is going to come to their territory they will start stinging humans. When you got stung by wasps, it will cause an allergic reaction and can be deadly if the person has allergies.
How to Avoid Wasps While Mowing Lawn
1. Get rid of wasp nests.
To begin with, perhaps the best thing you can do to avoid wasps while gardening or mowing the lawn is by searching your entire property for their nests and properly getting rid of them.
The best way by which this could be done is probably by calling a professional wasp exterminator since they know the best way to approach wasp nests and protect themselves from these stinging creatures during the process. Moreover, they are incredibly useful particularly if the nest is located in an area that is hard to reach.
However, if–despite the risks–you wish to do the entire process by yourself, you definitely can. First of all, locate the nest. Note that if the nest is somewhere far from where you and your family hang out, it’s probably better to just leave it alone. Otherwise, proceed to the next step, which is ensuring you have the proper clothes, gear, and tools for the extermination process.
Get a ladder if the nest is very high up, however, make sure that you don’t stay too close to the nests during the actual process. Purchase a spray that is suitable against wasps. If you don’t want to use chemicals, you can use smoke. Build a fire beneath the nest and make sure the smoke is swept by the wind in the direction of the nest.
Also, wear the proper attire so that in case they suddenly attack you, you are protected. Wear something with long sleeves, wear a pair of pants, some boots, a bee hat, eyewear and a pair of gloves.
Note that the best time to remove wasp nests is during the nighttime, since they are less active during this time, so there is a lower chance that you will get stung.
2. Grow plants that repel wasps.
If you want a natural way of keeping wasps away from your property, position plants that repel wasps in certain locations.
Try planting basil. It’s a pretty small plant, but don’t underestimate it. As it turns out, it can be used not just as an ingredient in many recipes. It has the power to repel insects and even wasps, too, because of the aroma that it exudes. Many homeowners swear by the repellent properties of this plant.
Another plant you can try is lemongrass. Lemongrass has been known to repel mosquitoes, but apparently, it can help a great deal if you are having issues with wasps, as well. Lemongrass is often added in recipes to add aroma and taste, but as it turns out, the scent of this plant that humans love so much is something that wasps hate.
You can also slice up a cucumber and throw the slices onto the areas that are infested. Cucumbers have a scent that wasps do not like.
3. Don’t wear colognes or perfumes that make you smell like flowers.
Even though you may wonder why wasps even exist when all that they seem to do is sting people (even those who are not doing anything that may bother them), they are important, because they pollinate flowers. This means that they are attracted to things that smell like flowers. Thus, if you want to keep yourself from being attacked by wasps, do not wear perfumes or colognes that have a floral scent. You may also want to avoid using laundry detergents or fabric conditioners that smell like flowers.
4. Wear the proper attire and protect your feet.
Wasps may go your way if you are mowing the lawn because lawnmowers tend to vibrate and wasps may see these vibrations as some sort of threat. To protect yourself, wear the proper outfit when you are out on your lawn. Choose clothes with thick fabric, put on some gardening pants and a pair of gloves, wear a hat, and of course, protect your feet by putting on a tough pair of boots.
5. Keep a safe distance.
If you know where the wasp nests are in your property and you have not successfully gotten rid of them yet, then make sure to stay as far away as you can from those areas. If there’s something you have to do near a wasp nest, then do it as carefully as you can, to prevent them from getting triggered.
6. Keep calm.
If ever you fail at avoiding wasps and they end up attacking you anyway, remember to keep calm. If ever this happens, try your best not to panic. Do not scream, do not swat the wasps, or throw your arms around in an attempt to put them off. These things will not help. It will probably just agitate them even more.
7. Prevent them from returning.
It’s pretty easy to eliminate wasp nests, especially if you had it done by an exterminator or if you did it yourself correctly, however, it does not mean that the wasps will never return to the area. They can come back and in fact, they may do so several times. So it is best to conduct preventive measures to keep them from returning after removing their nests.
To do this, discard old food and when you do so, make sure they are placed in tightly shut containers. Don’t leave your food out in the open, too, since this may also attract wasps. Seal areas where wasps may enter, such as in cracks in the wood. Lastly, during the winter, remove vacant wasp nests.
Conclusion
There are many ways by which you can avoid getting attacked by wasps while you are mowing the lawn. Aside from wearing thick clothing that covers nearly every inch of your skin, you can do certain steps to prevent wasps from building nests in your property. As they say, prevention is better than cure.
