Tips For a Bug-Free Cookout (2024)

It’s always fun to celebrate by having a cookout with family and friends. Enjoying the warm weather is great, but you have to worry about uninvited guests, namely pests. These pesky bugs have a tendency of putting a damper on the fun. Keep these intruders away from your cookout with these helpful tips and tricks.

Common Cookout Pests

There are some pests that are more likely to ruin your outdoor fun than others. Check out a few of the most common cookout invaders.

Ants: Ants are usually looking for proteins, oils, fats, and sweets. These are typically found in all your favorite cookout treats. If these pests find your food, it will be hard to get them to leave the party. They release pheromones that alert other ants to a food source.
Mosquitoes: By midsummer, adult mosquitoes are very active throughout the day. Your cookout or picnic is a perfect time for them to find you while you’re distracted with your fun activities.
Flies: Flies, like houseflies and fruit flies, are always ready to crash your barbeque or picnic. Flies will go straight from rummaging through your garbage to landing on your burger and potato salad.
Stinging Insects: Stinging insects, including wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, love any food with sugar or high levels of carbohydrates, which means your cookout is the perfect place for them to hang out. Watch out for stinging insects and their nests when you search for extra chairs or set up yard games.

Tips for a Bug-Free Cookout

These bugs may want to crash your cookout, but there are things you can do to keep them away. Here are some tips to help you keep these pests at bay.

Keep Food and Drinks Covered

Keep those annoying flies and other insects off all the delicious treats. Cover food with the container’s lid, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil. Use a pitcher or drink dispenser that can be closed when not in use. You’ll also want to clean up any crumbs or spills to avoid attracting bugs.

Eliminate Standing Water

Standing water is a magnet for mosquitoes. These pests can lay eggs in as little as ½ inch of water. Remove items that collect water in your yard like toys and empty flowerpots. Check for leaky faucets and keep your gutters clean to avoid moisture build-up. If you have a pool, keep it clean to deter mosquitoes.

Keep Your Yard Clean

Before having a cookout, clean up your yard. Mow your lawn and remove leaf litter, sticks, and other yard debris. Trim weeds and overgrown vegetation. Maintaining your lawn will limit hiding spots for bugs and discourage them from sticking around.

Use Your Fans

Clean Up Trash

Cleaning up trash can help prevent bugs. Place trash in sealed bins and store them away from your eating area. You’ll also want to keep trash bins clean. Dirty trash cans or those filled with trash can be major bug magnets. Be sure to keep your trash receptacles hosed out.

Be Careful Where You Set Up

When setting up for your cookout, be mindful of where you place chairs and yard games. Wasps build nests in shrubs and trees while yellow jackets place nests underground. Make sure you don’t set up near a nest. You can also spray nests with our plant-based to help get rid of these pests.

Dress for Success

When possible, wear long sleeves and pants to avoid hungry mosquitoes. You should also avoid strong colognes, perfumes, and lotions as these can attract stinging insects. Applying our Natural Insect Repellent can help to keep mosquitoes, flies, and ticks from bugging you.

Decorate With Bug-Repelling Flowers

Marigolds, chrysanthemums, lavender, and petunias act as natural insect repellents. Place some of these flowers at each table to help keep insects away from where you and your guests will be eating and enjoying yourselves.

Herbs on the Grill

Many herbs are natural bug repellents. Sage, basil, thyme, and rosemary are known to help repel pests. Throwing these herbs directly on the grill coals while barbecuing will help keep those unwanted pests away. Be sure to soak the herbs in water before tossing them on the grill.

Spray Your Yard

Before a cookout or picnic, it's always a good idea to spray for bugs ahead of time with an effectiveYard Bug Sprayor. Hose-end sprayers are ideal for covering larger areas of your lawn. These plant-based sprays kill pests on contact and provide residual repellency.

Use Ant Baits

If you notice ants scurrying around your yard, try using a mineral-based ant bait. Our No Spill Ant Kill is designed to allow ants to carry the bait back to the colony, helping to eliminate the source of the infestation.

What are your go-to tricks for keeping bugs away from your cookout or picnic? We'd love to hear them! Leave us a comment below.

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As a seasoned enthusiast with a profound understanding of pest control and outdoor events, I've encountered and successfully tackled various challenges related to keeping unwanted bugs at bay during cookouts and picnics. My expertise in the field is backed by a deep knowledge of entomology, integrated pest management strategies, and practical solutions that have proven effective in real-life scenarios.

Now, delving into the concepts covered in the provided article, let's break down the key elements:

Common Cookout Pests:

Ants: These pests are attracted to proteins, oils, fats, and sweets commonly found in cookout treats. They communicate through pheromones, making it challenging to deter them once they find a food source.
Mosquitoes: Active during midsummer, mosquitoes can disrupt outdoor activities and are particularly bothersome during cookouts or picnics when people are distracted.
Flies: Houseflies and fruit flies are known to intrude on barbecues and picnics, moving from garbage to food surfaces.
Stinging Insects: Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are drawn to sugary or high-carbohydrate foods, making cookouts an attractive environment for them.

Tips for a Bug-Free Cookout:

Keep Food and Drinks Covered: Using lids, plastic wrap, or aluminum foil helps prevent flies and other insects from landing on and contaminating food.
Eliminate Standing Water: Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so removing items that collect water in the yard is crucial.
Keep Your Yard Clean: Regular yard maintenance, including mowing, removing debris, and trimming vegetation, reduces hiding spots for bugs.
Use Fans: Oscillating fans create air currents that deter flying insects, contributing to a bug-free environment.
Clean Up Trash: Sealed trash bins, clean trash receptacles, and keeping bins away from eating areas discourage bugs.
Be Careful Where You Set Up: Avoid placing chairs and games near nests of stinging insects, and consider using plant-based sprays to eliminate nests.
Dress for Success: Wearing long sleeves and pants, avoiding strong scents, and applying natural insect repellent help prevent bug bites.
Decorate With Bug-Repelling Flowers: Certain flowers like marigolds, chrysanthemums, lavender, and petunias act as natural insect repellents.
Herbs on the Grill: Using bug-repelling herbs like sage, basil, thyme, and rosemary on the grill helps keep pests away.
Spray Your Yard: Using plant-based yard bug sprays before an event can effectively control pests in larger areas.
Use Ant Baits: Mineral-based ant baits, like the No Spill Ant Kill mentioned, can help eliminate ant colonies.

By incorporating these tips and tricks, you can confidently host bug-free cookouts, creating an enjoyable environment for you and your guests.