Invasive Asian hornets have worryingly been spotted across the UK – but there’s plenty you can do about them AND their smaller pesky cousin the wasp. From a genius plant trick to sealing up nest spots, an expert reveals all …
Keeping your garden free from unwanted pests is a challenge every gardener faces – and few invaders are as unwelcome as Asian hornets and wasps.
These insects can not only disrupt your peaceful outdoor haven but also pose a threat to both your safety and the local ecosystem. There’s much concern over the invasive Asian hornets after they were spotted in the UK for the first time since 2016. And while there’s only been a few sightings so far, many are still understandably worried about having them pop up in their garden.
Fortunately, James Ewens, of outdoor furniture experts Alexander Francis, has some easy tips on how you can keep hornets and wasps away from your outdoor space – including a surprisingly simple yet genius plant trick.
Strong smells
Strong scents are one of the best ways to deter wasps, and there are a few plants you can put in your garden to help with this. We’ll all be familiar with using citronella candles to keep the flies at bay when you’re dining al fresco, but having the actual citronella plant in your garden can be effective too – working in a similar way and making wasps disperse.
Spearmint and lemongrass can also have a similar effect, so combining all three around your garden could provide the best chance of keeping pests away. If you don’t want to introduce these plants to your garden or just simply don’t have the room, then mixing their essential oils with water can create a sprayable solution that you can apply on the locations of previous wasp nests or areas where they’re likely to crop up.
Keep food covered
It might sound like an obvious one, but the importance of keeping food away hidden from wasps and hornets can’t be understated when it comes to keeping them out of your garden. This goes beyond just some tin foil on your sandwiches; make sure that any and all scraps are cleared away, bins are sealed, and plates, dishes, and glasses are all promptly cleared away and washed
If you’re breaking out the barbecue during summer, you’ll also want to thoroughly clean it after use, to prevent leaving out any potential bits of food that could attract these pests. Wasps and hornets also go wild for sugar, so if you have any cans of sugary drinks out and about, then try to keep them covered and make sure they’re not outside for long.
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Seal up potential nest spots
Another method is to try to remove all of the spots where wasps and hornets may try to build their nests, such as cracks in exterior walls of your home, or garage, or gaps around fittings. It’s important to get them filled in before a nest manages to take hold – as the harder it is for wasps to find a place to nest, the harder it will be for them to establish one.
What to do if you have a nest
In the unfortunate event that you do end up with a wasp or hornet nest, we’d strongly advise not trying to dispose of it yourself and instead getting a professional in. Whilst you can find plenty of tips and tricks online for DIY wasp removal, they’re often ineffective and can lead to some very angry and aggressive wasps.
Call in a pest control expert who can dispose of them safely and efficiently, so you can be back out enjoying the sunshine without worry once more.
How to spot an Asian hornet
According to The British Beekeepers Association, the invasive species can be identified by asking yourself three questions. “Does it look very black?”, “Has it got a wide orange stripe on the 4th segment of the abdomen?” and finally “Do its legs look as if they have been dipped in yellow paint?”. If the answer is yes to all, then it’s a hornet.
Asian hornets can be spotted by their entirely dark brown or black velvety bodies, yellow ends of legs, a black or brown abdomen and the fourth section of their body is typically yellow or orange. The RSPB says: “The European Hornet is much larger than the Asian Hornet, with workers measuring 25mm and the queens often reaching 35mm. Asian Hornets are generally between 20-24mm, only slightly larger than the Common Wasp.”
