Keep Wasps Away From Your Porch/Patio/Deck! [3 WAYS]

Wasps can be pesky insects that are hard to get rid of. These insects will often build their nests on patios, porches, decks, and outdoor furniture.

Wasps are a big problem for many people, but hopefully, by the time you finish reading this blog post, that will no longer be an issue.

We’ll cover some of the most common solutions to keep wasps away from your porch. Wasps can be pesky and sometimes dangerous pests, so it’s important to know how to get rid of them before they become too much of a problem.

Keep Wasps Away From Your Porch/Patio/Deck

Wasps can be pesky and sometimes dangerous pests, so it’s important to know how to get rid of them on your patio or porch before they become too much of a problem. Here are some ways to keep wasps away from the porch, patio, or deck.

1. Take Precautions

The first step is to take precautions to keep wasps away from you and to keep them from coming to your patio in the first place. Wasps are attracted to perfume and scented lotions, so avoid wearing these scents while sitting on your patio.

You can also use wasp repellent on your clothing.

If you are allergic, spray your clothes every few hours when you are outside on the patio. You can safely spray yourself, your children, and your pets with water and essential oils of spearmint, thyme, and lemongrass to keep wasps away.

Make sure to store any leftovers and dispose of any garbage that could attract wasps. Garbage cans should be covered with a tight-fitting lid. Most foods, including pet food and nectar or bird food kept in a feeder, will attract wasps. This also applies to other pests such as slugs and snails.

If you have a bird feeder, avoid hanging it on your patio because it will attract wasps. Place it away from the patio, where you can see the birds but not be bothered by wasps.

Examine the exterior of your home, particularly the area around the patio, for areas that may require repairs. Wasps can quickly build nests in any crack or crevice created by broken siding or paneling.

If you have patio umbrellas or awnings, dab the insides with wasp repellent. Wasps may be tempted to nest inside it when it is closed if this precaution is not taken.

We Found Some Great Wasp Repelents Here

Smells That Attract Wasps

You should avoid leaving anything outside that could attract these pests’ attention. Fruit juice, rotting fruits and vegetables, meat scraps, and soda are all smells that wasps are attracted to.

Smells That Deter Wasps

If you want to repel wasps from your patio, you should expose them to smells they despise. Wasps dislike the smells of peppermint, wormwood, and citronella.

2. Control Wasp Population On Patio/Porch/Deck

If wasps have already begun to visit your patio, you must limit their presence before they move in. Later in the summer and fall, there will be even more of them. If you don’t get rid of them, the colony will grow throughout the spring.

Individual wasps can be vacuumed up as you see them. This will work well if you have an indoor/outdoor shop vac. If you swat the wasps in an attempt to kill them, they will release their pheromone, signaling others to follow.

Wasp traps can also be set up. These traps will also catch flies, which can be a nuisance. To attract wasps, use a solution of water and sugar. They will fly into the container to consume the mixture, but they will be unable to exit.

These containers can be purchased, or you can easily make your own out of a two-liter plastic bottle. If you cut the bottle’s neck, you can flip it over and place the piece inside out on the bottom. See Example Below

Tape the pieces together, then pour the sugar and water mixture into the trap.

Another effective way to get rid of wasps is to surround parts of your patio with wasp-repellent plants. Spearmint, citronella, thyme, wormwood, and eucalyptus are all-natural wasp repellents. It will help to keep wasps away if you replace flowering plants near your patio with these plants.

3. Remove Wasp Nests

Removing wasp nests can be extremely dangerous, and you should not attempt it if you are allergic to wasps.

In fact, I would recommend enlisting the assistance of a professional. This is actually made simple by HomeAdvisor.com, which allows you to search for background-checked professionals on this page.

However, if you want to go it alone, I can respect that! And if that’s the case, I have some words of advice for you.

Be mindful that nests may be hidden anywhere, especially under eaves or decks where they’re harder to spot at first glance.

Make sure to protect your entire body and have a backup plan in place in case the wasps swarm. Nests can be sprayed with warm soap and water. Dish-washing soap clogs their breathing spores, causing them to die almost instantly.

Another approach is to use smoke. If you have a grill or a fire pit, light it just below the wasp nest. The smoke will drive them away, and once they’ve gone, you can knock down the nest and spray it with the dish soap solution.

Wasp nests should be removed at night because they are slower and less aggressive after the sun goes down.

Again, no matter what you do, wear protective clothing from head to toe, as multiple stings can harm even people who have no known allergies.

How To Keep Wasps Out Of Patio Umbrella

There is a good chance that you have never seen a wasp nest. They are usually hidden away in places where people don’t go very often, such as under your patio umbrella or porch swing.

For the most part, they just hang out and do their own thing but every now and then one of them flies up to eat some sugar from your hummingbird feeder or drink water from the birdbath.

These guys sting us pretty bad when we get too close so why not try to keep them at bay? Here are some steps on how you can keep these pesky bugs out of your patio umbrella…

1. Clean Your Umbrella

The first step is very simple: clean it! It seems like a no-brainer but I have seen a lot of people neglect to do this. Wipe down your umbrella with some soap and water, then let it dry before putting it away for the season.

2. Remove Overgrow

You will want to make sure that you pull out any weeds or other plants that are growing around where the pole goes into the ground so they don’t get trapped there over winter break which would provide a nice home for these bugs to start making their nest in next spring.

3. Use A Repelent

The final step is going to be either applying an insect repellent specifically made for wasps or tying up a lemon slice at one corner of your umbrella using a fishing line. This both acts as a way to repel them from getting too close while also giving off scents that just mask it.

If you try these steps out and still find wasps around your patio umbrella, it might be time to go for a more high-tech option like getting one of those solar-powered spinning lights that look like they are chasing the bugs away. Found Here

However, if you want something less expensive then just using some bug spray or other repellent is fine as well!

If all else fails then maybe consider relocating your birdbath or sugar feeders to another part of the yard so the flying critters have no reason to come back….as long as there isn’t anything in particular about this location that keeps drawing them over here…such as sweet smells from cooking food on your grill.

What Can I Spray On My Porch To Keep Wasps Away?

To keep wasps from returning, douse the nest with soapy water first, then apply any essential oils around your porch to keep them away.

Wasps can be killed by using warm, soapy water. Fill a backpack hose (the larger the better) with a dish-soap-slash-water combination and spray it at the nest.

Be sure to soak the entire nest, including any exposed paper combs.

Some people swear by deterrent essential oils like citronella and peppermint for keeping wasps away.

How Do I Keep Wasps Off My Outdoor Furniture?

One approach to keep wasps away from your furniture is to use a scent that they despise. Wasps hate the smells of wormwood, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus. Eucalyptus is an excellent option for this purpose since it has antiseptic properties.

Simply dab some eucalyptus oil on your patio furniture using a cotton ball to repel wasps and stop them from coming back.

To keep wasps away it is best to use fresh eucalyptus. You can do this by growing your own or buying some at the local nursery.

It’s recommended that you place the branches in shallow pots so they are easy to move around, thus creating a personal insect repellent garden.

Another way to keep wasps away from furniture is through citronella candles and torches which release their scent into the air when lit.

The heat of flames turns citronella oil into vapors that insects hate but humans enjoy for their pleasant fragrance.

Citronella scents will not kill wasps; however, if used effectively it can drive them out of an area over time since they won’t return while the smell persists in the area.

Do Dryer Sheets Keep Wasps Away?

These small, rectangular pieces of paper are made up mostly of a fabric softener and can be a great way to repel wasps. The smell they give off works as a repellent for many bugs, including wasps.

These chemicals also help repel other insects that might infest your home or gardens by using another method: blocking their sense of smell!

This is called “olfactory interference.” When insects cannot tell where food is coming from because there are so many smells around them, they go elsewhere looking for it instead!

Putting some near potential entry points into homes will not only block the senses but may even prevent nests from being built on the exterior.

What Kills Wasps Instantly?

Mix two teaspoons of dish soap with a cup of water in a spray bottle and spritz the nests. The wasps’ breathing pores will be clogged, suffocating them and killing them instantly.

Be careful when using this method, as the foam you create could potentially damage your plants.

Make sure to keep a safe distance and take care not to let any of the treated mixture end up on yourself or pets (and definitely don’t spray it in your eyes). If you feel that’s too much work for something that can be removed with simple soap and water, try contacting a professional.

Keep in mind: wasp nests usually only need to be eliminated once per year. In some cases, they may build several smaller nests during warmer months so there might be more than one nest at a time if multiple seasons have passed since the last treatment.

Does WD 40 Repel Wasps?

Although it’s not a natural solution, the common household spray known as WD-40 does an excellent job of keeping wasps at bay due to its scent.

Spray your home’s eaves and overhangs using the long nozzle that comes with a new can.

Use WD-40® to Chase Away Wasps

Yes, you can! We got rid of our wasps by spraying WD-40® in their nests. It is a water displacement formula, so it kills the wasps and makes their nests uninhabitable for the future. I also prefer the smell over that of any wasp poison that is out there.