We marinated the burger patties, stocked the cooler, and set up the lawn chairs. But while preparing for your Fourth of July cookout, mosquitoes, ants, and bees will come along as well. Most people make plans around food, but the guest list and the presence of pests are just bad luck. But a backyard barbecue actually has a lot of charm all its own.
So why is summer cooking so hard for pests to resist? Knowing the answer can help you avoid the swarms before your guests come running towards your door.
Why do barbecues attract pests in the first place?
“In the summer, warmer temperatures allow insects to complete their life cycles in a shorter period of time and produce more offspring,” says Dr. Mariah Baggio-Deibler, technical director of Pestmaster, Inc., a pest management franchise headquartered in Reno, Nevada.
As their numbers increase, three main factors will cause them to flock to barbecues, said Emma Grace Crumbley, an entomologist with Mosquito Squad Plus, a Richmond, Va.-based pest control company.
- space: Standing water, shady corners, and garden debris give pests a place to breed and hide.
- people: Sweat, body heat, and exhaled carbon dioxide attract mosquitoes and gnats, and sticky hands attract ants and bees.
- food: Whether you leave it on the grill, outside, or in the trash, food attracts just about everything from wasps to rodents.
Here we take a closer look at the most common barbecue pests and what causes each one.
mosquito
“Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water that they have access to and nearby hosts (barbecue guests),” Crumbley explains.
At a typical barbecue, water problems can arise from places you don’t think to check, such as clogged gutters, unused birdhouses, or even a wading pool set up for guests. Mosquito activity often spikes after heavy rain, so it’s worth checking the weather forecast before hosting outdoors.
When it comes to hosts, mosquitoes track humans (and their blood) by detecting carbon dioxide, body temperature, sweat, and body odor. You can’t hide it at a barbecue full of people standing around a hot grill. However, it is possible to make yourself less attractive to them. “In my house, we use fans to get rid of bugs,” says Brandon Runyon, a certified entomologist with Swat Pest, a pest control company in Evansville, Indiana.
more: how to get rid of mosquitoes
flies
“Flies love food,” Crumbley points out. “Whether it’s raw, baked, on the table or in the trash, flies are attracted to it.”
If you’re hosting outdoors, you’re likely to encounter two types of flies: small flies and large flies. Like fruit flies, small flies seek out fermented sources that are rich in sugar. Think of an abandoned tray of alcohol or fruit. Larger flies, such as houseflies, target decaying materials such as food waste and pet waste.
“Covering food, using trash cans with tight lids, and placing oscillating fans around food and seating areas can reduce fly activity,” suggests Baggio Deibler. “Flies have difficulty flying in moving air.”
Ali
Ants aren’t particular about what they want. Sugary drinks, greasy grill residue, fallen bread crumbs, and overflowing trash are all okay. “When an ant finds food, it leaves a chemical trail that attracts other ants,” says Baggio-Deibler. From there it’s a relay race. The scout will return and the rest of the colony will retrace his steps to your table.
To avoid leaving traces of chemicals, entomologists recommend washing spills immediately with warm water and soap, keeping food covered until ready to eat, and removing trash regularly.
wasp and bee
“Wasps and bees love high-protein, high-sugar food sources,” Crumbley says. But they’re not looking for the same thing with their barbecue. Yellow jackets will eat anything that comes off the grill, while bumblebees are particular about drinks, fruit, and desserts.
And then there’s the third little guest that hosts often overlook. “The bees are going to show up because of us,” Runyon says. “They need the water, salt and minerals found in our sweat.” He is quick to point out that they are also good pollinators, so it’s worth leaving them alone rather than swatting at every bee that lands nearby.
Before your cookout, walk around your yard and check for hives, especially near sheds, eaves, or thick shrubs. If you find the nest early, you can call an exterminator to remove it before the party starts. There’s no need to discover a nest in the middle of an event when your garden is full of sad guests.
Easy ways to keep pests out of your kitchen
Here are six habits to keep pests out of your gathering, according to experts.
- Cover food, drinks, leftovers, and garbage with lids or mesh domes.
- Use trash cans instead of bulk bags. If you need to hang bags, place them far enough away from your guests, but close enough that you won’t forget to handle them.
- Mow the lawn before the event. Tall, thick grass provides hiding places for insects that short, dry grass does not.
- Run fans near seating and dining areas to prevent pests from flying onto food and guests.
- Wipe up spills and grease immediately, don’t wait until after the party.
- Lighting a citronella candle can mask odors that attract pests.
BBQ Pest Prevention Easy Checklist
The experts we spoke to recommend using the following timeline to prepare your garden for guests and eliminate pests.
5 days ago:
- Clean the grill and surrounding area
- Scoop up pet waste from the garden
- take out the garbage
3 days ago:
- Mow the lawn and double check for pet waste
- Walk through your garden and deal with standing water, anthills, wasp nests, wasp nests, etc.
- Remove leaf piles, wood piles, and other debris that may harbor pests.
On BBQ day:
- Light your citronella candles early before your guests arrive.
- Cover the food with a mesh dome or lid
- Install fans near seating and dining areas
- Finally, check to make sure no trash, water, or food has been left behind.
Things worth keeping on hand:
Also, if your garden has recurring pest problems, it may be worth having a pest management professional apply a barrier treatment before your guests arrive.
