this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2024
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Do fragrant herbs repel wasps? (self.gardening)
submitted 8 months ago by neomachino to c/gardening
6 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Figure this was a good place to ask.

My whole block has a horrible wasp issue. All my neighbors seem to just be killing them as they see them with raid or something, which hasent helped much.

My plan was to use a vinegar/water mix with a few drops of peppermint oil and go around the house and spray it in the areas i cant have them for immediate action. But i also hear you can plant some herbs like lemon balm and mint to help keep them away from certain areas. I'm not sure how true this is so I figured id ask.

I already have some lavender, lemond balm, and catmint plants i can move around.

P.S. i know they're necessary and good to have around, but my 2 year old is allergic and loves to play in the yard.

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[–] IMALlama 5 points 8 months ago

Are you in the southern hemisphere? If yes, wasps have an interesting feeding cycle that breaks when there are no more larvae around.

Adult wasps collect meat / other insects and feed it to the larvae. In turn, the larvae secrete a sugary substance, which the adults eat. Come fall, the queen stops laying so no more sugar for the adults. This causes the adults to go scavenging for carbs. That's not to say that adults won't cut out the middle man in spring and summer if the opportunity presents itself, but they don't have much choice come fall.

The last paragraph in the lifecycle and habits section talks about this.

If this is what's going on, traps help. That said, removing easy access to carbs will make it so fewer of them come visit in the first place.