Plants that deter bees/wasps/mossies?

My big strong husband is absolutely petrified of bees, wasps, mossies - basically any little things that fly!

Are there any plants that I can put in pots near the patio windows, front & back doors etc to try and stop the blighters coming in to the house?

We are new to gardening and have moved into a house - he is now studing some of the plants and if he sees a wasp in the same plant twice - the plant has to go!!!

 

Plants have a drive to reproduce and most do so by bearing flowers, these are pollinated by insects who in turn collect pollen and nectar for their own food. There is really something magical about a quiet garden thrumming with bees and all the flying critters we have.

I've seen quite a few queen wasps while working this week. It's been a funy winter and we could be having a population explosion this year as in most areas their numbers were down last year. At the moment they are either hunting for wood to chew or looking for nest sites and unless you live on a plasic bubble it's difficult to avoid flying insects even if your garden is totally concrete.

I work beside bees in the garden all day and they never bother you if you leave them alone. Generally worker wasps are also fairly docile untill the autumn unless they feel threatened. They also take a grat deal of garden pests so shouldn't be maligned too much.

For mossies and such there are deterant sprays you can use (although I've never yet found one effective against the infamous Highland Midgie!)

Really the best course is to help him try to overcome the fear. Maybe a visit to a beekeeper who has an observation apiery or some trips to a butterfly farm. Insects are beautifull and it seems a shame not to be able to enjoy a garden because of them.

 

Frogesque's suggestion about a visit to a bee keeper is a really good one. I took our daughter who was afraid of bees to see a friend's hives and she was utterly entranced and conquered her fear. She now loves them and if one gets into her house she does all she can to let it escape safely.
Wish I could report the same for Mrs W who leaps into a sub-orbital altitude if anything with stripes approaches within 10 feet. :rolleyes:

And you can tell Hubby that he should be thankful that he doesn't have squadrons of midges (Culcoides Impunctatus) to contend with. They have driven strong men mad.

[ 05. May 2006, 10:02 PM: Message edited by: Dave W ]

 

Dave...Mrs Pal is just the same.. :D

Don't like midges after a holiday in the Elan Valley :eek:

 

I get a bit freaked out with buzzy, stingy things as well! I've never actually been stung by a wasp or bee so maybe that's the reason why (famous last words!!!). However, I invested in a little gadget that has a long tube with a gentle, battery operated fan in the handle. You place the tube over the visitor and switch on the fan and there's just enough suck to stop the beastie flying away but not enough to harm it! You then go to window or outside and switch off the fan and away it goes! The ultimate 'user' friendly device! Highly recommended!

 

In reply to the husband that ditches every plant that a wasp visits:
First thing to do is learn to tell the difference between a wasp and a hoverfly. The latter have no sting and are great pollinators. I suppose if you fill your garden with garden centre hybrids that have no scent and pollen, then the stripey ones will not bother to visit - but then you won't get butterflies either.

Highland mossies? They have me beat. My solution has been simply never to go to the Highlands in summer ever, ever again.

 

For me a glass and a piece of cardboard does well for bees, wasps, spiders and other things that belong outside. They don't get hurt, and I don't get twitchy :D

 

Get a couple of cats. No matter hoe often they get stung, our bunch keep chasing and munching insects (anything from spider up to bumblebee). I don't like them doing that as I too enjoy the buzzing of the little critters around the garden (but big strong hubby is petrified of them!), but I tell myself that in the few hours we let the cats out they can't do too much damage (they also kileld a few birdlings this spring already - yesterday one was climbing up inside a conifer :eek: , kicked out one of the freshly hatched baby birds and then kept dragging it into the house to eat it in relative peace! Not nice, but it is nature - and "fully outside-going" cats (ours are only out when we are) do much more damage - our garden loses maybe a birdling a week or so...

 

Two words of advice about wasps:
they are attracted by all kind of carbage for example rotting fruit, fish, meat etc... so don't have any food lying around.
They are attracted by clothes in bright and shiny colours, strong perfumes, suncream , hair styling spray etc
You don't have to walk barefoot or attempt to irritate the wasps or worst catch them with your hands.
Nests are located in the most disparate and hidden places and if one plans to destroy the nest it is best to do it in the "low season" which i imagine beeing the winter and seek precise advice on HOW TO OPERATE SAFELY.
There are a couple of plants which can help, but I can't remember their names!
Here is a site about wasps

http://www.vespa-crabro.de/directory.htm

 

Pennyroyal and citronella are the traditional natural insect deterrents.
I also think visiting a hive and trying to overcome fears is a much more satisfactory and effective solution. Bees don't bother me at all. but some years ago I was disposing of an old haybale when I dug my fork into a small wasps' nest which naturally annoyed them very much, and I was lucky to escape with less than 20 stings. This has made me more than usually sensitive to their stings, and even one will make the stung area blow up like a balloon for ages, and quite painful.
I am now always on the look out in spring for wasps starting to build their beautiful nests somewhere where they and I will come into conflict. I hate having to destroy the nests [for some reason they like the box hedge] and feel yet again that...... "I am become....the destroyer of worlds".....
:(

 

An ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK can occur in some cases following a sting by bee or wasp.

here are the symptoms:


http://web.ukonline.co.uk/km.white/Web_Pages_htm/Anaphylactic%20Shock.htm

 

O my, i think bees are a natural part of any garden and can complitment it beatiufully but mossies and wasp's!!!

 

Thanks Liz for reminding me. Having had one wasps nest in my roof space - I do not want a repeat - they caused me no harm, but it did increase the number that arrived indoors.

Shame cos their nests are so beautiful - and are only used from May to September when they move on - as I am advised.

Interestingly I seem to have a much larger number of bumble bees and honey bees flying into the house at the moment.Anyone know why?

[ 09. May 2006, 06:37 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Hi all, at certain times of the year, early summer I think, I have trouble with flies entering my conservatory through the door and not being able to find their way out fly up to the top and eventually die or are vacumed up. As I have borders close by and flies do a lot of pollination, my method and this only lasts for a few weeks, is to place a net curtain with expanding pole, in the sliding door entrance. The problem then completely goes away also it stops bees etc.