How to Keep Bugs Away from Your Backyard BBQ: 6 Simple Tips

Category: Pest Control
Read time: 6 minutes

Nothing ruins a backyard BBQ faster than mosquitoes turning your guests into an all-you-can-eat buffet or wasps dive-bombing the dessert table. The good news? A few simple steps can make your yard much less inviting to these uninvited guests. Here’s how to keep bugs away so you can get back to enjoying the burgers, the laughs, and maybe even that second helping of potato salad. 

What Attracts Mosquitoes to Your Yard?

If mosquitoes seem to show up the second you fire up the grill, it isn’t your imagination. They’re actively searching for the things they need to survive, and unfortunately, your backyard can check a lot of their boxes. 

Here’s what makes your yard especially appealing to mosquitoes: 

• Standing water where they lay eggs
• Carbon dioxide that people and pets breathe out
• Body heat
• Sweat and the chemicals your skin naturally produces
• Dark-colored clothing that makes people easier to spot
• Some floral perfumes and scented lotions

Even a small amount of water can become a breeding site. Mosquitoes can lay eggs in as little as a bottle cap full of water, making clogged gutters, birdbaths, children’s toys, flowerpot saucers, tarps, buckets, and wheelbarrows common trouble spots.

The good news? A quick lap around the yard before you fire up the grill can help make your backyard a lot less appealing to mosquitoes. 

1. Get Rid of Standing Water

We both know that your guests came for burgers, not bug bites. If you want fewer mosquitoes, start by getting rid of the standing water where they lay their eggs. 

Walk around your yard a day or two before your barbecue and dump any standing water you find. Pay special attention to:

• Birdbaths
• Plant saucers
• Children’s toys
• Buckets
• Tarps
• Clogged gutters
• Wheelbarrows
• Pet bowls left outside

The less standing water around your home, the fewer places mosquitoes have to reproduce.

2. Light Some Citronella Candles

Do Citronella Candles Really Work?

They can help, but they’re not a force field. 

Citronella candles can help reduce mosquito activity in the immediate area around the candle by masking the scents mosquitoes use to find people. They’re most effective when you’re sitting nearby, and conditions are relatively calm.

Citronella tiki torches, tabletop candles, and citronella sprays can all provide localized protection, but they won’t eliminate mosquitoes throughout your yard. Think of citronella as one piece of your bug-fighting toolkit, not the entire toolbox. 

3. Use a Fan

A simple fan is one of the easiest ways to make your patio more comfortable.

Mosquitoes are weak fliers, so the moving air from a box fan or oscillating fan makes it difficult for them to land on people. The breeze also helps disperse the carbon dioxide we exhale, making it harder for mosquitoes to locate their next meal.

Bonus: Your guests stay cooler, too. Everybody wins. 

What Attracts Wasps?

Unlike mosquitoes, wasps aren’t interested in biting people for food. They’re much more interested in what’s on your picnic table. 

Once the burgers hit the grill and the soda cans come out, wasps start paying attention. They’re paying attention to: 

• Sugary drinks
• Fruit
• Grilled meats
• Desserts
• Open garbage cans
• Food scraps
• Sticky spills

Late summer is often when wasp activity becomes more noticeable because colonies are larger and worker wasps spend more time searching for sugary foods.

Knowing what attracts wasps makes it much easier to keep them from crashing your cookout.

4. Be Proactive About Waste

One of the quickest ways to attract wasps is leaving food and trash uncovered.

A few small habits can make a big difference: 

• Keeping serving dishes covered until guests are ready to eat.
• Putting lids on soda cans and other sweet drinks when possible.
• Cleaning spills promptly.
• Emptying overflowing trash.
• Using garbage cans with tight-fitting lids.

The cleaner your outdoor eating area stays, the less attractive it becomes to stinging insects.

How to Keep Wasps Away When Sitting Outside

We know…it’s tempting. But swatting at a wasp can actually make the situation worse.  Sudden movements can make them more defensive and increase the chance of getting stung.

Instead:

• Keep food and drinks covered whenever possible.
• Avoid wearing strong floral perfumes or scented lotions.
• Clear dirty plates from tables quickly.
• Set trash cans away from seating areas.
• Consider hanging a fake wasp nest before the season begins, as some wasps avoid nesting near established colonies.

If you notice a wasp or hornet nest near your patio or deck, it’s best to avoid disturbing it and have it professionally removed.

5. Start the Party Early

Sometimes the easiest solution is simply changing the schedule. 

Mosquitoes are generally most active around dusk and into the evening, so hosting lunch or an early afternoon barbecue may mean fewer mosquitoes bothering your guests.

If an evening cookout is on the schedule, combine this tip with fans, citronella products, and good yard preparation to help reduce mosquito activity.

Your Backyard BBQ Game Plan 

Before guests start arriving, take five minutes to run through this quick checklist: 

• □ Dump standing water from containers around your yard.
• □ Clean birdbaths and refill them with fresh water.
• □ Clear leaves from clogged gutters.
• □ Set up fans around seating areas.
• □ Light citronella candles or tiki torches near gathering spaces.
• □ Cover serving dishes until it’s time to eat.
• □ Keep drinks covered whenever possible.
• □ Place trash cans away from guests and keep lids closed.
• □ Wipe up spills promptly.
• □ Check for visible wasp or hornet nests before guests arrive.

Small steps like these can make outdoor meals much more enjoyable while helping keep bugs away from your food and your guests. Think of it as rolling out the “Not Welcome” mat for mosquitoes and wasps. 

Need More Than DIY Tips?

Sometimes you’ve done everything right, and the mosquitoes still got the invitation. If your yard seems to attract mosquitoes or stinging insects year after year, it may be time to bring in a little backup. 

Professional backyard mosquito treatments target areas where mosquitoes rest and breed, helping reduce mosquito activity around your property. If wasps or hornets have built nests near your home, trained technicians can also remove them and treat areas where new activity is likely.

At Fox Pest Control, our Yard Enjoyment Plan helps reduce mosquito activity around your yard and treats for stinging insects so you can spend more time enjoying your outdoor spaces instead of swatting at them. And with the Fox Guarantee, if pests come back between scheduled services, so do we. 

Whether you’re dealing with mosquitoes, wasps, or hornets, we’re here to help you enjoy your backyard with fewer interruptions.

FAQs

What attracts mosquitoes to a backyard?

Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water, carbon dioxide, body heat, sweat, dark clothing, and certain floral scents. Standing water is especially important because it’s where mosquitoes lay their eggs.

Do citronella candles really work?

Citronella candles can help reduce mosquito activity in the immediate area around the candle, especially when there’s little wind. They’re most effective when combined with other mosquito prevention methods.

How do I keep wasps away while eating outside?

Keep food and sugary drinks covered, clean up spills quickly, keep trash contained, and avoid swatting at wasps. If you discover a nest near your outdoor living space, professional removal is the safest option.

What’s the best way to keep bugs away from food outside?

Cover serving dishes, keep beverages covered, clean up crumbs and spills, and dispose of trash promptly. Fans can also help discourage flying insects around the table.

When are mosquitoes most active?

Mosquitoes are generally most active around dusk, during the evening, and into the early morning hours, although some species bite during the day.