Wasps are among the typical guests in late summer. They are attracted to food of all kinds and get very close to people. The fear of a sting is always present and often combined with the desire to kill the insects and clear their nest. Many people come across lavender when looking for a suitable home remedy for winged animals. But does the popular plant with the essential lavender oil help?

ingredients

The question of whether lavender or its essential oil can drive away wasps must be clarified on the basis of the ingredients. Above all, the five species that are most commonly cultivated and offered should be mentioned here.

  • real lavender (bot. Lavandula angustifolia)
  • Woolly Lavender (bot. Lavandula lanata)
  • Big spike (bot. Lavandula latifolia)
  • French lavender (bot. Lavandula dentata)
  • crested lavender (bot. Lavandula stoechas)
lavender plants

Just Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia have the highest concentration of ingredients, which can be seen in the intense scent of the plants. For this reason, they are often offered as a scented herb, which is perfect on the balcony or in the garden.

The ingredients at a glance:

1. Linalyl acetate

This substance is a monoterpenoid ester, more precisely a flavoring substance, which is one of the main components for the characteristic scent of the lavender is responsible. The liquid has no color but a distinct odor that is sweet and fresh. It is immediately reminiscent of lavender, although not entirely as it is only part of the aroma. It is found in many other essential oils, such as bergamot oil, and is an important ingredient in the perfume industry. It's non-toxic, so it's great for deterring wasps.

2. Linalool

Linalool is produced by lavender as alcohols, more specifically acyclic monoterpenes, which are also responsible for a specific aspect of the aroma. In contrast to the freshness of linalyl acetate, linalool provides an extremely floral scent, which is also reflected in the Aroma of lavender. Like linalyl acetate, it is found in other plants, but there it is found more often in herbs such as coriander, black pepper and plants with a tart taste such as nutmeg or hops. When it occurs as an ester, it is an important component of wines and particularly of the Muscatel grape variety. However, the substance is responsible for possible allergic reaction.

3. Camphor

Camphor is a monoterpene ketone that is used in the drug but is psychedelic and even toxic in higher doses. The most well-known plant that produces camphor is the camphor tree (bot. Cinnamomum camphora). The concentration of camphor in lavender isn't high enough to produce any effects, but the strong smell discourages wasps from going near the plant.

4. Cineole

This flavorings often occur in connection with camphor and have a similar aroma. They also ensure the possibility of using lavandula as a medicinal plant, as it has a positive effect on the respiratory tract and the nose. Even asthma and hay fever can be treated with cineol.

5. Other substances

There are also other substances that are considered important components of essential oils apply. Since the lavender essential oil is what is supposed to work against the insects, the plant depends on these substances. They make up about 65 percent of the composition of the ingredients and are the basis for the effect of the plant and carrier for the substances mentioned above.

Lavender in the garden

The important substances include:

  • terpenes: chemical compounds in the form of phytochemicals
  • oxides: Oxygen compounds in the form of acids
  • esters: chemical compounds that function as a flavoring agent
  • Ketones: chemical compounds, also function as a flavoring agent

These substances are not poisonous for humans and insects, which makes it particularly easy to use. They don't bother the animals with the smell, they just keep their distance from the plant. The higher the concentration of the carriers, the more intense the aroma can be, which of course has a good effect on the effect needed for quenching.

animal sense of smell

Based on these ingredients, it can be determined that wasps avoid the plant because the smell has an unpleasant effect on the animals' sensitive sense of smell. However, this is highly dependent on the individual species Lavandula angustifolia is almost twice as high in concentration as Lavandula dentata. You can use that to your advantage and mainly that real lavender and Big Speik use to have an effective remedy against wasps available. However, the plant alone is not always enough to drive away the insects. But there are numerous ways to use Lavandula taxa in such a way that the flying insects stay away.

Wasp colony on a nest

herbal combinations

Lavandula and other herbs

One of the most common ways to keep wasps away is this combination of various herbs and plants along with the lavender plants. Like bees, wasps avoid special plants whose smell they absolutely hate and which you can use to enhance the effect of the lavender. Best of all: they are not exotic, but plants that can easily be kept in Germany over the summer.

  • Rosemary (bot. Rosmarinus officinalis)
  • Basil (bot. Ocimum)
  • Tansy (bot. Tanacetum vulgare)
  • Thyme (bot. Thymus)
  • Peppermint (bot. Mentha piperita)
  • Catnip (bot. Nepeta cataria)
  • Anise (bot. Pimpinella anisum)
  • Verbena (bot. Verbena officinalis)

lavender plants

The trick is to apply the lavender plants in high numbers along with the other plants. As a result, there is a particularly pleasant and stimulating feeling for people scent in the air while the wasps stay away from it. The benefit of this is that you can amplify the effect with each specimen, making it difficult for insects to venture near you. In addition, the plants help to keep other annoying insects such as ticks or even mosquitoes away, which is particularly pleasant in the summer. A mediterranean garden is good for you if you want to experience your summer without flying insects.

Thyme in the garden

Tip: Tansy was already a repellent against wasps in the Middle Ages. At that time shoots were cut off the plant and put in the nest, which drove the animals out of their own homes permanently.

Apply lavender oil

Instead of the plant, you can easily use lavender oil to keep insects out of your garden or your own four walls. Lavender oil is the concentrated, essential oil of the lavender plants and the flowers of Lavandula angustifolia used. When choosing an oil, you should definitely pay attention to the quality, because the higher the quality of the lavender oil, the more intense the aroma and thus the deterrent effect on insects.

lavender oil

You can use the lavender oil in two ways:

1. Fragrance lamp

You can set up fragrance lamps at the desired location, fill them with oil and light them. The lavender aroma spreads even faster with this variant and since wasps cannot tolerate smoke in any form, they keep a particularly large distance. The aroma even intensifies over the fragrance lamp, which works particularly well as a deterrent. The only downside to this method is the need to keep refilling the fragrance oil. It is therefore particularly suitable for barbecues or a coffee with cake in the garden or on the terrace.

2. Spray

With a lavender spray you can easily clean corners in the garden and your `s living quarters get rid of wasps. Since this can be easily sprayed, it takes effect in just a few moments and can be refreshed again and again.

Produce the spray in the following way:

  • fill a measuring cup with clear water
  • now add lavender oil; a few drops are enough
  • you can also add other essential oils
  • Now the mixture is stirred so that the oils can be well distributed in the water
  • finally it is filled into a spray bottle
water sprayer

You can the mixture very easy to refill and can therefore be used throughout the summer without any problems. The spray will not harm your garden plants or other insects in any way if you only use essential oils. Even animals are not harmed by the spray, which allows it to be used at any moment. Lavender oil is versatile and the higher the dosage, the more effective the effect.

Tip: If you were accidentally stung by a wasp, you can even apply the lavender oil to the sting and leave it on. The active ingredients in the oil absorb into your skin, relieving the pain and itching of the sting.