Plants that deter bees/wasps/mossies?

I dont mind bees I quite like watching them going from flower to flower but dont like wasps much- do they serve any purpose in the garden? do they pollinate for instance?

 

Wasps do a lot of good in the garden. They take many insect pests to feed the developing larvae in the nest. Last year I watched a mid air tussel between a wasp and a crane fly. Both fell to the ground and the daddylonglegs made an escape leaving a very cross wasp! They also do some pollinating. They also have incredibly sweet tooths and will seek out nectar or sugary fruit, sweet wrappers or sticky mouths!

They can cause some damage as they chew wood and pulp it to build their paper nests. Normally they will only pulp wood that's already fairly soft but will attack roof rafters if a nest is in the loft.

Mostly they will buzz you to see if you are an enemy or good to eat. They will sting if provoked and unlike bees have no barb on their sting so can sting more than once and survive. Stay calm and they will normally find something else more interesing. Worst time for wasps is in the autumn when there are no new lavae to feed, temperatures start to drop and food starts to diminish. They can get really cranky then. For anyone into 'extreme sports' observe wasps when they are feeding on black berries, they become extremely docile and almost drunk on the sweet juice. Most if not all workers will die during the winter in the UK and old nests are not normally reused.

The larger view is that wasps are like any other creature, they do their thing and will defend if they feel threatened.

I don't take pleasure in dealing with wasp nests though I accept that sometimes it has to be done if there are safety considerations. Normally I just find out where any nests are and give them the respect they deserve.

Anyone with an allergy to bee or wasp stings should be especially alert as Anaphylactic Shock can be fatal, seek imediate treatment.

Finally don't try this at home folks!