Natural ways to keep hornets out of your garden safely

The sound of flying hornets incites fear. Although these insects are not aggressive, they can attack if provoked. Want to avoid a confrontation with hornets? Use tried and tested natural methods to drive them out of your garden.

Hornets are one of those insects that evoke irrational fear. The very sound they produce can cause chills down your spine. During the spring and summer, they often visit gardens for food. How can you scare off hornets? Everything you need is likely already at home.

A hornet is an insect species from the wasp family. They range from 0.67 to even 1 inch in length. There's a long, sharp stinger on its abdomen, which it uses only when it feels threatened. Like bees and wasps, hornets produce venom. This venom contains acetylcholine, and a sting from a hornet can cause anaphylactic shock in someone allergic to this substance.

Although seeing a flying hornet is not the most pleasant sight, these insects are an important part of the ecosystem. They actively participate in flower pollination and feed on aphids, whiteflies, caterpillars, and ticks, which are pests that harm humans and plants. Therefore, they should not be killed but only deterred.

How can you scare hornets away from the garden? It's difficult because these insects have a compassionate sense of smell. Some scents attract them, while others repel them. Hornets love the aroma of flowers, fruits, lacquer, wax, and even garbage. However, they can't stand the smell of burnt coffee, lavender, thyme, basil, marjoram, mint, garlic, or cloves. If you can, plant one of these in your garden to keep the insects at bay.

No space for new plants? Make an eco-friendly repellent with two ingredients you already have at home. Two tablespoons of coffee beans and a tablespoon of cloves would help. Please put them in a small ceramic container, light them, and place them on the balcony or garden. Hornets won't even come close.

If you're afraid of being stung, make a homemade balm that will repel mosquitoes, ticks, hornets, and wasps. In a small bowl, pour three tablespoons of baby oil or body care oil (e.g., sweet almond oil). Add a few drops of essential oils like lavender, lemon, and basil, then rub it on your body. Use it whenever you go out to the garden, and you will forget about getting stung.