Adding some rosemary essential oil may help as well. If you’re dealing specifically with paper wasps, any of the following essential oils will help keep them away: clove, pennyroyal, lemongrass, ylang ylang, spearmint, wintergreen, sage, rosemary, lavender, geranium, patchouli, citronella, Roman chamomile, thyme, fennel seed, anise, and peppermint. [3] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
Citronella plants will also do the trick if you want a more permanent solution.
Wasps are social creatures, so if you see one wasp, the odds are high that others are nearby. Killing any wasp you see may keep others from following it. [6] X Research source
DIY wasp traps aren’t particularly effective. If you’re going to try and trap the wasps, get legit traps. [8] X Research source This isn’t a solution if you have a nest on your home. You’ll need to contact a pest control expert for that. But if there’s some nest nearby and you don’t where it is, this may help curb the issue.
You don’t actually need to put these plants in the soil. You can always just buy potted herbs and leave them outside. This is a great option since you’ll be able to move the plants as needed and they won’t require much care outside of the occasional watering.
It’s a myth that wasps are only interested in sugar. They’re going to be attracted to basically anything edible.
If possible, store your garbage in a vestibule or garage. This way, the wasps won’t have any way of reaching the garbage. If you compost, keep your compost in a sealed bucket.
A lot of these aerosol sprays can be sprayed up to 20 feet (6. 1 m), which is great if you’re dealing with a large number of wasps and you don’t want to get too close.
You can theoretically treat a wasp nest on your own, but it’s a risky process if you’re dealing with any kind of aggressive wasp.