Wasps! How do you deal with them?

[AngelsWithSilverWings]

Had a fantastic week camping in The New Forest but every mealtime was a nightmare because of wasps.

I really want to do a two week camping trip next summer but the wasps are the only thing putting me off. We usually camp in May and June when bugs are less of a problem.

We tried to make some wasp catchers using empty bottles but nothing seemed to work so we had to eat inside the tent with the doors closed which was horrible in the heat.

Any tips?

Um yes eat inside with all zips deployed to shut.

An alt is to eat in the car, doors shut.

Also, avoid August.

On a serious note, pitch as far away from bins/washing up blocks, reception area, anywhere that peeps congregate with sticky lollie sticks etc.

I posted about this yesterday on an AIBU about hornets, I've just bought a waspinator in preparation for camping next week. It looks like a wasps nest, you hang it up and the wasps stay away as they are territorial and don't want to go on to another wasps patch.

Also (lessons learnt while camping last week), be aware of food left out/ dropped on the floor that will attract them (as they will come back to places they have got food from before). We also got whoever had the wasp hovering near them to run in a large circle before sitting down to carry on with dinner. It caused much hilarity, and we usually lost the wasp about half way round the circuit! This probably only works when there are not too many wasps around, or no one would get to eat any food.

We had a terrible wasp problem last week too, they were everywhere and made dd into a hysterical wreck (it was me that got stung, not her!).
I'm not going to worry unduly about our next trip though because tbh this is the first time we have ever had a problem with them, or even noticed any wasps at all, in the last 15 years of camping. I think this year has been exceptional.

Ok - think I will go prepared with wasp traps next time and perhaps go early August rather than late. Thanks.

We have a waspinator in the doorway of our tent too but the thing that has made a real difference this year is our new tennis racket zapper. Shaped like a tennis racket it gives the wasp an electric shock when you hit it. Sounds cruel but ... well, they are wasps. We've zapped every wasp we've been pestered by. I think word has got round the local wasp community as we haven't seen any wasps for our last two meals outside! Got ours from Maplin.

I was also going to suggest the tennis bat zapper thing. Useless for flies but fab for wasps. I got mine from b&m but have also seen them in go outdoors.
Made a huge difference to mealtimes x

Do wasps still sting if you stand on them in bare feet once they're dead? That would be the only thing that would put me off a zapper!

We've made wasp traps of bottles with the neck cut off and inverted in the bottle - we've prob killed over 100 in 24 hours here! Hardly saw any in the fortnight in Cornwall at the start of Aug!