Keeping Insects At Bay

A typical summer picnic needs only a few key ingredients to be a success: some good food, beverages, perhaps some fun games like volleyball or croquet and, of course, guests to enjoy it all.

But even though they certainly don't appear on the guest list, insects still somehow end up gate-crashing the party anyway, whether we want them there or not. There may not be any foolproof ways to eliminate them completely, but there are some ways to cut back on the number of pests at your picnic.

Common offenders include bees, ants, mosquitoes and one of the biggest pests of all, flies.

Bees: Although hornets don't usually show up until later in the summer and early in autumn, bees such as wasps can still be a nuisance this time of year. Search for and destroy (carefully) any wasp nests that may be in the area, even if the nest seems to be uninhabited. Or, call a pest control company to do the dirty work for you.

Check behind your shutters and up in the eves, that kind of thing, and if you start to see any nest building, you have to get rid of them right away. Bees can also go into the ground, so if you see certain activity going into a little hole, it's likely that there is a nest there. In this case, you should call a professional to take care of it or purchase products available to take care of underground nests.

Mosquitoes: Be mindful of and eliminate any standing water on or around your property. Mosquitoes can breed in a very small amount of water – even a little bit of puddling in a driveway.

Ants: Ants leave an invisible chemical trail for others to follow once they locate the food source. So, if just one ant finds those biscuit crumbs left by your toddler, chances are, a whole lot more will find them too. For this reason, although it is difficult to keep ants from making an appearance at your outdoor party, keeping food covered and cleaning up spills or leftovers are a good way to keep them under control.

Flies: Possibly one of the biggest picnic offenders, flies can be a huge party spoiler. Unfortunately, there aren't a many ways to completely eliminate them, although granule baits and hanging strips can keep them at bay. Try hanging the strips with away from the party area, but close enough that the flies will still be attracted to them.

There are new products all the time for fly control, but pest control companies have specific programs and products designed to deal with fly problems. Like ants, flies breed in puddles and small amounts of water, so be sure to eliminate any standing water.

Keeping food covered and cleaned up will help to keep from attracting pests such as flies, ants and bees. Also, place rubbish bins away from the area where entertaining will take place. Unfortunately, whether they received an invitation or not, pests are bound to make their way into your picnic. But with some common sense and possibly professional help, they can at least be kept under some level of control.

SDA Pest Control, "Long Acre", Bluntisham Road, Needingworth, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire
01480 465684