Little-Known Ways To Protect Yourself Against Wasp Stings

Posted on: 1 April 2016

Spring is finally here and the weather is starting to warm up. Soon, flowers will start to bloom and offer plenty of colorful visual appeal. Of course, you are not the only one attracted to the sight of pretty flowers and warm weather. Wasps will also be buzzing about, which could mean bad news for you if you are allergic to them. Fortunately, there are some little-known yet cool ways to protect yourself against their stings.

Kill 'Em with Kindness

Reaction to a wasp sting can range from mild to severe, with milder cases having little to no reaction around the site of the sting. However, if you are highly allergic, you are more likely to experience a severe reaction. A severe allergic reaction can result in anaphylaxis, which is a systemic reaction that can be life-threatening.

For that reason, it is important to protect yourself against the threat of wasp stings. One way to do so is to attract them. While that may sound counterproductive, attracting them allows you to kill them with kindness. You can achieve this by creating a natural concoction consisting of a cup of water, 2 cups of apple cider vinegar, 2 cups of sugar, and approximately a ½ cup of liquid dish soap.

Wasps are naturally attracted to the sweetness of the sugar and the vinegar. Place the mixture in a 2-liter bottle. Secure a piece of string around the neck of the bottle and hang it in an area away from where you typically come together such as on the front porch or backyard. Instead, place it up in a tree so that attracted wasps do not come anywhere near you.

The wasps will fly into the bottle and the small opening will make it harder for them to make their way back out. The dish soap will work to dissolve the wasp's protective outer coating so that they drown quickly in the mixture. Although it may seem like you are so kindly providing your enemy with a kind and sweet temptation, you are instead ridding yourself of the threat of their stings.

Repel Them with Color

Believe it or not, you can repel wasps with color. Color can affect the behavior of a wasp. In fact, insects such as wasps and bees are more attracted to color than they are to smell. In order to repel wasps, it is best to avoid wearing certain colors, particularly dark colors such as red and black. Red and black can make wasps behave more aggressively because the colors mimic natural predators such as skunks and badgers.

You are particularly at risk if you wear dark colored clothes with texture since textured clothing resembles the fur of animals. Wasps tend to sting around high contrast areas, such as near the collar of your shirt.

The contrast of your skin against the dark shirt looks like a weak area, which puts you at risk of getting stung. Instead, consider wearing lighter colors, such as pale pastels or even white. White is a great choice, which is why beekeepers wear white suits. Furthermore, you should avoid using any laundry detergents that contain UV brighteners, as it will just make you more of a target to wasps.

Protect Against Them with Plants and Veggies

While you may have the desire to dress your yard with cheerful looking flowers, keep in mind that both the color and the smell of flowers may attract unwanted wasps to your yard. Place flowerbeds in areas where you do not often sit or hang out. Instead, consider planting strong aromatic plants around your porch or backyard. Not only does it provide you with some greenery, it also protects you from wasps.

Wasps tend to stay away from areas with strong smelling plants. Therefore, you should consider planting the following around your home:

  • Spearmint
  • Thyme
  • Eucalyptus

Vegetables can also work wonders to keep wasps away from your home, particularly cucumbers. A great way to repel wasps is to cut up a cucumber and place it in an aluminum pan. Place the pans of cut cucumber around your home, such as on your front porch, near your back door, or on a table on your patio.

The cut cucumber has a chemical reaction to the aluminum, which then creates an odor that is unpleasant to wasps and drives them away. Fortunately for you, the smell is undetectable by the human nose, meaning you don't have to worry about this method driving you away.

While the suggestions mentioned can help reduce the likelihood of wasp stings, none of them provide complete protection. If you are allergic and a wasp stings you, make sure you seek medical attention immediately. Even if you are not allergic, you should keep an eye on the sting site to ensure that you will not have a reaction. For more information, contact a company like Oak Brook Allergists.

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