Don’t Let Pests Ruin Your Cookout

Its summertime and there is a high likelihood you will be attending a cookout at some point. Everyone is having a good time and then you notice there are pests trying to get at your delicious food. Swatting at them works temporarily but they keep coming back. Don’t let these pests ruin your cookout.

Here are some helpful tips to minimize your annoyance by pests:

1. Bug Spray – Before you get near other people or the food, you can spray yourself down with a bug repellent. This will usually help keep away flies, gnats and mosquitoes. There are chemical sprays that claim to be safe and there are also all natural sprays available.
2. Protective Area – It helps if you can have a screened-in area to retreat to if the bugs get to be too much of a problem. It’s not just flies and mosquitoes. Bees and yellow jackets are attracted to sweet smells and no BBQ is complete without a sweet BBQ sauce on hand and sugary soda for the kids.
3. Food Tent – That’s right, I said food tent (pictured). If you are outdoors and there is simply no protected area, you can put a small tent made of screen material right over your food. The cheapest models go for about ten bucks and the more you spend the more elaborate they get. They have versions with little access ports to reach in and grab the food. You can buy on Amazon or at any online camping retailer.
4. Clean Up Spills and Dropped Food – This one almost falls under the “no duh” category but if you let spills and dropped food sit around for any length of time you’ll wish you hadn’t. Ants, bugs, and flying insects will show up very quickly and they won’t leave (insert in-laws joke here).
5. Citronella Candles – These candles are a good idea to have on hand for anytime you want to sit outdoors. They are made with citronella oil and are believed to repel flying insects like mosquitoes.

In summation, there are many steps you can take to prevent being hassled by pests. Just like anything you do in life, the more planning and energy you put into it, the better the outcome will be.

Have a safe and happy summer and enjoy those cookouts!