Many swear that wasps stay away when incense sticks, coffee or even cigarettes are burned. But is that really true and which means are suitable for deterring the sometimes annoying insects - but don't they make them aggressive? We reveal whether smoke helps against wasps or whether the home remedy is useless.

Smoke against wasps

There are numerous home remedies to keep annoying wasps away from the coffee table. One home remedy for wasps is smoke. Wasps don't like the smell and should therefore give smoke a wide berth. There are different ways to produce the smoke.

Burning coffee grounds

The smoke from burning coffee powder or coffee grounds should be able to drive away the insects. Although this does not work in every case, it is still worth a try and is not necessarily unpleasant for human noses. The following steps are necessary for the repellent:

  1. Place ground coffee or dry coffee grounds in a fireproof bowl.
  2. Put matches in the coffee and burn them.
  3. The coffee must glow and smoke in order to be effective against the insects.

incense

Just like the smoke from coffee, incense can also be used against wasps. On the one hand, the living plant can already have a deterrent effect. On the other hand, you can burn dried plant parts. The procedure is as follows:

  1. Place dried incense in a heatproof bowl or on a heatproof plate. A layer of sand can also be used as a base and to protect the bowl or plate.
  2. Burn the incense until it begins to glow or smoke.
  3. Once the incense has burned off, you should renew it. Because in order to deter the insects, there must be a constant smoke development.

Extra tip: Instead of burning the coffee or incense directly, you can also use a charcoal tablet. This glows slowly so that new coffee powder or new incense can be added to it again and again and new smoke develops.

incense sticks

You can also burn sticks with lavender or frankincense or special scents to drive away the wasps. The advantage here is that they smoke for a very long time and you only have to put them in sand or earth or in a suitable holder. The disadvantage is that the smoke from the sticks is comparatively low and you should therefore use several to keep a wasp away from the table.

alternatives

Often the animals can be deterred at least for a short time. In many cases, however, they get the wasps used to the smoke and then do not avoid the table. However, if smoking fails, you can try some alternatives in addition or instead. These include, for example:

  • Stretch mosquito nets over the dining table
  • Use fly screens in the windows and doors
  • Refrain from eating and drinking outdoors
  • Offer the insects alternative food sources elsewhere

Category:

Animals in the garden