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4:10 AM 31st July 2021
nature

Bugger Off - How To Keep Bugs Away From The BBQ

 
Photo by Vincent Keiman on Unsplash
Photo by Vincent Keiman on Unsplash
Brits are being given some useful tips on how to keep pesky bugs away from the BBQ this summer.

The experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have given advice on how to keep barbecues free from bugs when enjoying the outdoors.

Bugs can be a massive nuisance buzzing around food and drink when hosting a barbecue but these tips will ensure that pesky pests stay clear.

Simple tricks such as placing pennies in water and having insect repellant plants can help keep the unwanted bugs away.

Photo by Samuel Bryngelsson on Unsplash
Photo by Samuel Bryngelsson on Unsplash
A spokesperson for Gardening Express said:
“there’s nothing worse than when you’re having a nice barbecue with friends and family and there’s bugs flying about.

“They can be a real pain but there are a few inexpensive ways to keep them away.

“These tricks are really simple and a lot of them involve using things most of us probably already have in our homes.”

How to keep bugs away from the BBQ:

Insect repellant plants


Image by Wow Phochiangrak from Pixabay
Image by Wow Phochiangrak from Pixabay
Plants like Lavender and Chrysanthemum can help to keep bugs away and they’ll also add some colour to your garden.

Simply place a couple of these near the barbecue to discourage flies and insects.

Candles

Citronella candles are great at repelling mosquitoes and other bugs and are fairly inexpensive.

Light a couple of these and you’re good to go.

Lemon and garlic

Some foods can actually help to deter bugs and flies away from the barbecue too.

Slice a couple of lemons in half and place a clove of garlic inside, place them on plates and spread them around the barbecue area to keep the insects well away.

Water and pennies

Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay
Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay
This unusual tip uses light reflection to confuse the flies and keep them away.

Fill up a few glasses of water and drop around three pennies into each cup. Place these near your barbecue and serving area and you’ll notice the flies won’t come past them.

Another option is to fill up half of a plastic bag with water and fill it with around five to seven pennies and hang these in different areas in your garden.

Brown paper bags

Wasps tend to stay far away from other wasp nests so this trick is perfect to keep them away.

Simply grab a brown paper bag and fill it out with some rubbish to help it resemble a wasp nest.

Hang this by the serving area and wasps will stay away

Herbs

There are certain herbs that insects hate the smell on.

Throw some sage and rosemary on the grill as you cook your barbecue and the bugs will stay clear

Image by Fabio Grandis from Pixabay
Image by Fabio Grandis from Pixabay
Burning egg cartons

To deter any mosquitoes just light an empty egg carton and place it in a safe place away from your guests.

The burning smell will stop mosquitoes from entering the barbecue area.

Using LED lights

As evening approaches you may notice the garden lights are attracting bugs.

Consider switching the lights for LEDs as these are the lights which are least likely to attract bugs.

Cut the grass

Cutting the grass a day or two before a barbecue can get rid of any bugs hiding in the long grass that could potentially come out during a barbecue.