How to Avoid Wasps while Mowing the Lawn

Wasps can be bothersome flying insects that can fly at low heights without being noticed. Unlike bees, wasps can sting you repeatedly which is very painful which is why you should keep away from these creatures, especially when you’re mowing your lawn.

Nobody wants to get stung by a wasp, but as a homeowner, you ran the risk of getting stung by a wasp or a bee. The most common insects you’ll find around your lawn include yellow jackets, paper wasps, hornets, and honey bees.

The most effective way of avoiding wasps while mowing your lawn is to search for the wasp’s nests around your property and properly get rid of it. Also, ensure that you’re wearing the proper clothes and gear to protect yourself from getting stung. Reasons why wasps are in and around your lawn grass

How to Avoid Wasps When Mowing your Lawn

Locate and get rid of the wasp nests

Insects are tiny so you can’t notice them from afar, however, getting too close to their nest is like invading their space and wasps don’t like that. y

Your presence near their home makes them feel threatened and they can start attacking you in no time.

To avoid this, you should find their nests from a safe distance and avoid these places when you’re mowing. If they don’t feel your presence they won’t attack you.

Wear protective clothing and cover your feet

You might be attacked by wasps while mowing because your mower tends to vibrate and wasps may take these vibrations as a threat.

To help protect yourself, wear clothes with thick fabric, gardening pants, gloves, a hat, and a pair of tough boots when you’re out on your lawn.

Grow wasp repelling plants

If you want to go natural to keep wasps off your lawn, grow plants that repel wasps in specific locations on your lawn.

You can plant basil which is a small but effective herb with a powerful aroma that you can use in cooking and also repelling insects.

Lemongrass has a strong aroma and taste that is great for food and also repel mosquitoes and even wasps.

Wasps also hate the smell of cucumber, eucalyptus, ad thyme.

Avoid wearing perfumes or cologne that have a flowery scent

Wasps can sting you even if you don’t bother them because you could be wearing perfume or cologne with a floral scent.

Also, avoid laundry detergents and fabric softeners that smell like flowers.

Keep your garden clean

Whether it’s mowing time or not, avoid throwing food items, soda bottles, pet food, or leftover food on your lawn. The smell attracts wasps.

Ways you can reduce dealing with wasps on your lawn

Avoid leaving spilled or open foodstuffs including pet food or drinks on your lawn.
Cover all your trashcans.
If you have fruit trees on your garden, rake and throw away any fallen fruits and berries.
Ensure you rinse well your recyclables before putting them outside.
Turn your compost pile to bury any food waste that can attract wasps.
If you see wasps looking for lawn-destroying grub and larvae, don’t disturb them.
Mow your lawn high and keep it healthy because a dense and thick lawn can defend itself from ground-burrowing wasps and other insects.
Consider calling a professional exterminator to remove the wasp nests.

Wasp and bee season Wasps and bees have similar seasons which begins in the spring and ends in late fall, or from the beginning of May to the end of October. Their season follows the plant’s flowering season.

Also read -> How to Mow Around Beehives ( What is the Best Time to Mow )

Some wild species of wasps are the same as their domesticated species, but they can be extremely aggressive so if you discover a nest near your home or lawn, you should stay away and call the professionals to remove the nest.

Here is a quick a video on how to avoid bees and wasps while mowing your lawn.

Months wasps are active

Months	Activity
April	The young queen awakens from winter slumber and begins to build the nest with chewed up wood fiber mixed with saliva. Workers hatch from eggs she fertilized with sperm the queen collected the previous autumn. Eggs hatch into infertile female workers that build a larger nest and more cells for the queen to lay her eggs.
May	Queen lays more eggs in individual cells that hatch to larvae that worker wasps feed insects. Adult workers hatch from the larvae.
June and July	Wasp nest continues to grow in size. July, hundreds of wasps have reached adulthood that helps to find food to feed the larvae in the nest.
August, September, and October	Wasp activity begins to wind down. Workers die and the queen slows down in egg-laying. Lays eggs that hatch fertile males and females. The queen dies and the young queens mate with the fertile males and fly away. The fertile males die.

Reasons Why Wasps are in and Around your Lawn Grass

Wasps are very beneficial predator insects in your lawn, but sometimes they’re attracted to areas that can be too close for your comfort. Here are some of the most common reasons why they’re in and around your lawn grass.
They’re burrowing or nesting. The most common ground-burrowing wasp is the cicada killers that you might spot from the tiny piles of soil outside the burrows. These wasp and many other types of wasps are solitary creatures which can make it difficult to locate their nests.
They’re preying on insects and larvae in your lawn soil. Digger wasps usually fly low over lawns in the morning looking for larvae and grubs. These are beneficial insects that you don’t have to get rid of.
They’re looking for sugar from fallen fruit from trees, spilled food, and drinks, or aphid. After hosting an outdoor party or a picnic, you may find wasps buzzing outdoors over the leftover food and drinks left on your lawn or from the natural sugars from ripened berries and fruits.

Conclusion

Many ways can help you avoid getting attacked by wasps while mowing your lawn. Apart from ensuring you put on thick clothes to cover every inch of your body, you can also prevent wasps from building their nest on your lawn