Ah yes, the good old British summer. If the recent spate of good weather that most of the country has experienced recently continues, we might still have a summer worthy of enjoying some alfresco eating.

Whether you enjoy a picnic, a BBQ, or a bit of both, the last thing you want ruining the fun are annoying outdoor pests.

Flies, bees, wasps and mosquitos all buzz around all that tasty grub. While ants and other crawling insects can make outdoor eating a lot harder. Does that mean you should just give up all hope of an enjoyable time with friends and family eating at a local park or in your back garden? Not at all! Read on…

Choose the Right Location

Before you need to do anything else, you can greatly reduce the problem – and protect against outdoor pests – by choosing a sensible location for your BBQ or picnic. For starters, try to avoid setting up too near any body of water as this is an attractive place for pests to congregate. And if they catch a waft of your food, they’ll come and bug you. Pardon the pun!

Now, we know picnics are hard to resist. Especially if you are waiting to tuck into those cakes and sarnies. But just calm yourself for a moment before you set down your blanket. Look around, and just make sure there are no ant hills, wasp nests or any other signs of outdoor pests. If not, you’re good to go. If there are, move somewhere else.

It should also go without saying that you want to set up where you are going to eat away from the bin areas.

Keep All Food Packed and Protected…Until You Eat

The best way to keep those eager and nosy pests at bay, is to keep your food and drinks packed up until it’s time to serve it. Invest in some food covers so you can cover snacks when they are left unattended. For instance, when you are playing around with the kids or are taking a break from munching.

Where possible, avoid sweet and sugary drinks. There are plenty of tasty alternatives that don’t attract outdoor pests as readily. Keep any sweet BBQ treats in resealable containers.

Other Ideas to Keep Those Outdoor Pests Away

Flying insects are not too fond of displaced air, so invest in a small battery-operated fan. This is a great way of circulating air around your food, and should disturb pests enough to move along.

Finally, avoid wearing bright colours or strong perfume. Pests find them very attractive, so give your family a head start by leaving these items at home!