Plan ahead for this year's stinging insect concerns.
A reader asks:
What plants, bushes or trees deter bees and wasps?
The Exterminator replies:
There are loads of articles with recommendations on how to control various kinds of insects in gardens. However, very little is written on ornamentals that will repel bees and wasps. (Yellow jackets are wasps.)
Yellow jacket nests are often found in the ground. We usually don’t become aware of their presence until late in the year as the adult yellow jackets become more aggressive in their search for food to stockpile their nests.
Natural plant defenses don’t repel bees because bees are necessary for pollination. Wasps are also not repelled because wasps frequently feed on the small insects that otherwise would destroy various plants and flowers.
Herbs are most often mentioned as insect repellents. For example, garlic and chives will repel aphids. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes. Marigolds ward off nematodes. Mint stops ants. Pennyroyal deters fleas, mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers. Petunias control leafhoppers, certain aphids and tomato worms. Rue repels Japanese beetles in roses.
The only plant that is even mentioned as a wasp repellent is Wormwood (Artemisia). When planted as a border Wormwood is said to keep animals and many bugs out of the garden.
Source: Ask The Exterminator.com.
Related Posts:
Living With Beneficial Paper Wasps
Non-Toxic Pesticide Solutions For The Garden
Lover of God, nature, wildlife, birds, gardening, photography, travel, simple living, health, pets and seeking a peaceful, healing lifestyle. Life has many hurts and sorrows but within "the [divine] nature in us" we CAN overcome.
6 comments:
i have bumble bees hanging around my window! what can i use to stop them entering my house?
We have screens on our windows not only for bugs, but we have so many birds feeding near our house, we don't want them coming in the windows.
There may be some comments or info on these two posts for you:
http://www.thenatureinus.com/2007/07/living-with-beneficial-paper-wasps.html
http://www.thenatureinus.com/2007/08/non-toxic-pesticide-solutions-for.html
Some say that cinnamon straw brooms will deter bees and wasp
Don't you have screens in your windows? What is attracting them to your windows? We have lots of bees around our house but they are never at the window. Is there some kind of sap or nectar that is attracting them?
The bumble bee you are seeing is probably a wood boring bee. we have the aggressive little buggers too. paint all wood surfaces, kill the bees and seal the nests. they can be destructive. good luck
With the sad state of pollinators these days ... I can't see killing any bees. There's a lot of solutions without a kill. Plus if you're using chemicals and are feeding birds or have hummingbirds, it's not good either.
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