Fact check “Krone” – wasps: what do the countless “insider tips” bring?

Summer time is wasp time! Even though there are fewer wasps this year than last year due to the cold, damp spring, there is hardly a garden party without wasps at the moment. There are some myths about how best to get rid of the stinging pests. Insect expert Christian Wieser reveals which of them really make sense:

• Wasp traps with attractants help against wasps at the dining table.
  Wieser doesn’t mind: “That really attracts the wasps. And many of them have to die in the traps. A completely pointless death.”

• Roasting coffee grounds successfully repels wasps.
  That hardly stops the hungry insects from feeding themselves.

• Splash water at wasps to trick them into thinking it’s raining.
  Wasps don’t like water very much, but this myth is also wrong. Wieser: “If the insects get too wet, they can’t fly.”

• Set up a fake nest.
  One often reads on the internet that an inverted coffee filter is seen by wasps as a hostile nest and that they would stay away from it. This myth only cost Wieser a laugh: “Wasps react to scents, a fake nest certainly won’t work.” And the expert knows many more rumors about the animals that are not true.

• Wasps and hornets are aggressive, bumblebees and bees are peaceful.
  While ground wasps, in particular, defend their nests within ten meters, their relative, the hornet, is considered peaceful. “Hornets don’t usually attack anyone, but they are nocturnal and are attracted to light. Then there can be incidents with the animals in the evening,” says the biologist. Bumblebees are also rarely aggressive, but they can bite hard. “If forced be defending themselves, they will sting!”

So what can you do when wasps and co besiege you?

Wieser: “Don’t wave your hand or blow on the animals.” It is best to wait until the high season and learn to live with the insects. “The wasp states are largest in August. A few weeks later, the problem resolves itself,” says the expert.