Wasps round the swimming pool

Herefordjack wrote on Mon Jul 3, 2023 4:02pm:

Anyone got any effective tips for dissuading wasps from congregating around my swimming pool?

They use the metal pool ladder as a landing stage, pop in for a quick dip and drink, then take off again. There can be five or six there at any one time, those horrible ones with long back legs.

Read more...

My pool man says leave them alone and they'll leave you alone, but we'll have family visiting soon with young children. I'd obviously like them to have a wasp free pool to enjoy.

I know there are chemicals which affect the surface water tension, but I'd rather not swim through a chemical soup, nor have dozens of dead wasps on the pool floor.

We've tried bowls of water five metres away, and a brown paper bag taped to the ladder to resemble a rival wasp nest. Neither worked.

Come on, you clever people!

Villas wrote on Mon Jul 3, 2023 4:22pm:

Not clever, but this works: Have a nice water feature (away) from the pool area. ( eg: water running over rocks type thing. The wasps can drink their water feature, without drowning in your pool. V

Rumpelstiltskin wrote on Mon Jul 3, 2023 5:13pm:

Good Afternoon. Well that through me off with regard to you asking for advice, you normally give it, good advice over the years I may say.  I do not know the position of your pool, distance from bins, BBQ area etc. Firstly I agree with your Pool man /Gardner leave them alone. On saying that ...

Read more...

...if you have children visiting , arms swinging its a problem. Firstly I would check the pool chlorine content, have you raised the content thinking more protection with children visiting? or it would kill the wasps. Wasps are attracted to the smell of chlorine including drinking the pool water. You have stated you have blown up a brown bag (imitating a wasps nest) and placed near to the pool steps, not a bad idea however you must place in a near tree and put several moth balls inside the sealed blown up bag which will give off a defensive odour to the wasps thinking other wasps are in the area and they should leave. You could hang a burger or two from nearby trees away from your pool also, finally wasps love/adore  the smell of diesel fuel 110%. Put some diesel in a bottle, lid open and hang from a tree however its not a nice death for the wasp. Diesel is non flammable as you know, well it is but one has to hold a blow torch to it to ignite the liquid (sunlight wont do it). Its all about enticing the little critters away from your pool with a better interest. A lady mentioned fresh/water/feature  she is also correct, a bucket etc away from your pool area. Even a bowl of fruit, anything sweet. When your Grand Children & family visit make sure you inform them of your wasp friendly garden areas or you will be back to square one in the "stinging dept". To reiterate start by checking the Chlorine content in your pool. My Regards. R. 

Herefordjack wrote on Mon Jul 3, 2023 4:51pm:

Thanks, Villas, but I wasn't planning on investing in a major garden re-structure! More like a pot of jam with hole in the lid type thing......

Villas wrote on Mon Jul 3, 2023 5:46pm:

Ja ja. I wasn't thinking of the Trevi Fountain. I used a dustbin lid (with a small pond pump below) piled up stones above, & the water trickled over it. Coincidentally the wasps liked it rather than pool steps. It worked for me. Thought it was something budget may work for you. V