As soon as the sun starts to shine, we’re all out in the backyard, getting our best grills ready for a summer BBQ. It’s fun to be outside, eating al fresco with family and friends and we're celebrating the fact with our Get Grillin' week here on Tom's Guide.
But after cleaning your grill, preparing your food, and upgrading your backyard ready for the summer party season, you don’t want any uninvited guest gate crashing your fun. But just like we find the smell of a BBQ enticing, plenty of other creatures are tempted, too.
Wasps, bees, ants, mosquitoes, and yellow jackets are a few of the flying culprits that will hone in on a barbecue, while rodents can also cause havoc, especially after the event, as they scavenge for leftovers. So to help your party go with a swing, rather than a sting, here experts share their top tips on how to prevent pests from spoiling your outside cooking.
Why pests adore al fresco dining
When entertaining outside, there are lots of tempting treats that entice pests. Shannon Harlow-Ellis, associate certified entomologist and technical services manager at Mosquito Joe, says, “Food odors and things like sugary sauces, fruits, and meat attract pests as well as standing water from pet bowls, leaky hoses and birdbaths,” and adds that trash, food scraps, and drink cans and bottles are other culprits.
“Wasps and bees are attracted to sugary drinks and meats. Mosquitoes like and can be found near standing water. Ants are attracted to grease, sweets, and crumbs,” explains Harlow-Ellis.
She also warns, “Watch for flies landing on exposed food and ticks and fleas that hide in grassy and shady areas near BBQ spots.”
What harm do pests bring?
“If it’s just a couple of flies, wasps, or ants near the grill, there’s usually no reason to worry — these bugs are an inevitable part of outdoor life, and the worst they’ll do is annoy you,” explains Nicola Carpenter, president of Black Pest Prevention.
However, she adds, “If you notice mice, rats, or opossums, you’re dealing with way more serious risks, because these pests can spread diseases like hantavirus, leptospirosis, and salmonella.”
The most harmful pests to watch out for are mice, rats, roaches, raccoons, skunks and opossums, “They are not just annoying but genuinely dangerous due to the risk of spreading disease,” she adds.
How to deter the pests
It’s not only when you're using your grill that the pests are on standby mode; they are also on high alert after the event. Carpenter says, “People often leave BBQs unwashed, thinking that the heat burns everything off, but the truth is that charred bits and oils remain and attract pests.”
Cleaning your grill after a BBQ is, therefore, an absolute must to avoid a pest invasion. “Heat doesn’t clean off fats or sugars — exactly the two things ants, flies, wasps, yellowjackets, and cockroaches feed on. And in some cases, an unwashed grill attracts more serious pests like rats, mice, raccoons, and opossums.”
Clean up
“Cleaning the grease trap and scraping off meat bits from the grates after each use is the best thing you can do,” says Carpenter. “After the BBQ cools, shut the lid and cover the BBQ with a snug, undamaged cover. There’s no need to air the BBQ out — it only invites pests.”
“Most of the time, hot water, a grill brush, and dish soap are enough,” says Carpenter, but for tough grease, she also recommends a paste combining baking soda and vinegar or a grill cleaning spray, such as Weber’s Grill Grate Cleaner, ($10.99 for a 16oz spray bottle at Amazon).
However, if you clean your grill after every use, she says warm, soapy water and a grill brush will do the job perfectly.
Serving up
Apart from protecting your grill from pests, Scot Hodges, A.C.E., a certified entomologist with Arrow Exterminators, says to keep other foods covered, “Serve sugary drinks in covered pitchers and keep desserts in tightly sealed containers.”
This Amazing Abby Plastic Pitcher with lid, $24 at Amazon, is shatterproof and ideal for the outdoor party season.
And once meat is cooked, don't leave it uncovered. Otherwise, it's a prime bait for those pesky pests.
Standing water
One way to prevent pests from invading your grill is to look at the areas surrounding your grill and eating area. Standing water is one of the key attractions that draws pests in, and if the standing water is close by, it’s a no-brainer to remove it or over it up.
“If your BBQ is near areas with standing water, you’ll always have all those buzzing guests like flies, mosquitoes, and wasps — the cleanliness of your BBQ has nothing to do with it, and removing the sources of standing water is what you should do,” says Carpenter. “Standing water is not only ponds or rain barrels, it can also be a clogged gutter or poor drainage near your foundation.”
Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO at pool company Cabana, agrees that pests love standing water and says for those with a pool or a pond: “It’s a good idea to keep your grill away from any water features in your yard, and try to keep your eating area away from those spots too.”
Check your trash
Pests are also drawn to trash, whether it’s poorly sealed bins or leftover food. Meg Pearson, training manager at Critter Control, advises, “Gather trash and put it away in tightly sealed trash containers as it builds up. The more trash and food scraps you have lying around, the more you tempt local critters to come by for a free meal.”
She also recommends cleaning up all trash and food scraps once the party ends, advising, “Don’t leave any trash or food scraps that could serve as critter bait lying around outside overnight.”
Although she says cleaning up after a party can be a drag, it will prevent pests from making their way into your home, “Once your house is flagged as a reliable food source, some critters may keep coming back each day or night and eventually may start to try to make their way inside.”
Natural repellents
There are plenty of ways to use natural repellants to put the pests off, but they won’t necessarily keep them away completely. Carpenter says, “Don’t expect miracles from natural repellents. Peppermint oil, lemon juice, bay leaves, lavender, and rosemary emit a scent pests don’t like, but it won’t stop them from climbing into your BBQ if there’s something to eat.”
However, plenty of fragrant plants are perfect for outdoor eating areas that will deter pests while we can enjoy their scent. Anna Onler, owner of Bright Lane Gardens, says, “Most of your classic outdoor pests, like houseflies, mosquitoes, wasps and ants, are attracted to the various smells associated with BBQs. Everything from the grease on the grill to sweet sauces and colorful drinks can attract these insects. While eliminating the odors associated with a backyard BBQ is not typically doable, it is possible to counteract them with plants unattractive to these pests.”
She recommends lemongrass as a “favorite for mosquito control”, adding, “This dainty-grass-like herb contains Citronella, which is included in a lot of tabletop candles and bug sprays. It is a strong citrus scent that mosquitoes hate but doesn’t bother most people.”
Lemongrass is easy to grow, does well in containers and in a variety of conditions. But besides lemongrass, Onler suggests planting lavender, spearmint, rosemary, marigolds, and bee balm, citing them all as “easy to deter pests and add beautiful landscapes around your patio.”
Lighting
If you’re eating al fresco in the evening and illuminating your outdoor eating area with the best solar lights, Jim McHale, entomologist, CEO, and President at JP McHale Pest Management, says, “Instead of using white lightbulbs that attract flying insects, switch to yellow lightbulbs for an insect-free lighting solution.”
According to Sunco, warm lights are outside the range of vision of most flying insects, so they won’t zoom in to see what all the fun is about.
Hosing down
McHale shares another top tip to prevent pests from spoiling your BBQ. “Have you ever noticed that immediately following a rainstorm there isn’t much insect activity?”
He suggests deterring the pests by getting out your hose, advising, “Mimic a rainstorm by hosing down all the shrubs and flowers around your deck or wherever your barbecue is going to be.”
Insect repellents
Insect repellents aren’t for everyone, but McHale advises that if you’re looking for the best store-bought insect repellant, you should make sure it contains DEET. “Insect repellents that contain DEET offer the best protection against mosquito bites because they are designed for direct application to the skin that repels insects instead of killing them,” he says.
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