Forming a wasp battle plan

[scrappydappydoo]

We love camping.
We hate wasps.

Every year we camp on the same site (big gathering festival thing) and we are besieged. DDs scream/run/panic if any gets within a mile radius and we end up eating inside the tent which if (on those rare occasions) it is hot is frustrating and unsocialable. So I am forming a battle plan...

1. What are your top tips for deterring wasps?
2. We need to buy a new tent - are there any which have a large porch/space which is like being outdoors but bug free? (And have 3 bedrooms and a Sig)

Ta muchly

I saw something on a blog somewhere last year (sorry so vague) which involved a 2L drinks bottle which had been cut off a third of the way down then the top section inverted and replaced and taped to the bottom section then put sugar water/beer/whatever in bottom section and the theory is that the wasps fly in and then can't get out. Try googling wasp trap and you will find loads of alternatives too. Good luck

Google the waspinator, I think you can get it from amazon. Now I have no idea if it works but the reviews on it always seem to be good. Basically it's a fake 'wasps nest' that you stuff with carrier bags to make the shape. Then you hang it up and when wasps see it they avoid it because they are very territorial and a wouldn't go near enough to a huge wasps nest to see it isn't occupied. I discovered it a couple of summers ago when we had a nest and the nasty things were everywhere. It should hopefully stop them coming near your tent. I sympathise- I'm terrified of them.

waspinator.co.uk

We tried the waspinator- it was a pile of poo. We also do the lemonade bottle method as described and that really is the best way (can even do it without tape). Cheap, cheerful and easy to do on site. You need to keep it fairly near the tent for best effect and have faith that the wasps will go to that rather than you.

I can also recommend http://www.amazon.co.uk/ASPIVENIN-INSECT-POISON-REMOVER-KIT/dp/B004M9SLVK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1391889232&sr=8-2&keywords=sting+remover this product should the worst happen.

Oh no, I'd pinned my hopes of it for this summer..

hmm - maybe I could do both have the waspinator thing and the lemonade bottle - sort of go for a dual attack...

professor unfortunately the worst did happen a couple of years ago and that is why DC make such a hooha cos they know how much it hurts. I just find them irritating when you spend your meal constantly swatting and dealing with screaming children.

Would you have room to pack (& pitch) one of those lightweight gazebos with mesh side panels?

Friends used one as an 'outdoors dining room' in their garden for a lot of last summer and it remained mostly insect free (think the burned the odd citronella candle in the evenings).

Cost them about 30 or 40 quid in Argos or Asda, somewhere like that.

We have an asda one but the site is v windy and it didn't last 10mins. The mesh acted like a sail. If it weren't for event I would not camp there!
Adds citronella candles to battle plan

We had in the region of 50 bottle traps when camping last Aug BH. It meant we could just about eat when those around us couldn't. They liked alcoholic ginger ale best. Each trap was catching literally hundreds per day but they died happy!!

At the end we quadruple rubble standard rubbish bagged the bottles in case any live and angry wasps were left. Not a sting between 12 of us.

And perhaps an electric tennis racket just in case?

My dh and a pint glass.

He pops the glass over the top and then admires them before release.

Bloody tree hugger.

we had great success last summer, in France with a 2 litre Orangina bottle, and the top cut off and inverted. They seemed to love the Orangina. Tried coke, with less success.

Felt v guilty when we went out for the day and came home to 13 dead wasps as we weren't even there.

I think the wasp nest deterrent only works at home or somewhere permanent. I don't think it fools the wasps when a nest suddenly appears one day. [winks]