Q. I am severely allergic to wasp stings. I have heard that drinking gin will help repel mosquitoes. I occasionally drink gin and have found this to be true.
Is there something similar that you can eat or drink that will help prevent wasp attacks? Cucumber juice perhaps? I have read that wasps hate cucumbers.
A. We have serious doubts about the therapeutic value of gin to repel mosquitoes. Perhaps the idea for this goes back centuries to when British soldiers used quinine water (tonic) with their gin to treat malaria.
Anyone with a serious allergy to wasp stings should undergo desensitization treatment to prevent life-threatening reactions and carry an EpiPen. We are skeptical that cucumber juice would discourage wasps enough to protect you.
Readers have offered testimonials about the efficacy of hanging clear plastic bags filled with water around your outdoor entertaining space. While this might not hurt, we would be nervous about you relying exclusively on such a home remedy. We are not sure all the wasps would pay attention.
Another reader suggested this approach: “For ants and flying insects I need to get rid of as opposed to deter (I am allergic to hornets) I use mint spray. Safer makes an aerosol that works well and there are other brands as well. I used one several years ago that had a 20′ stream to get under the eaves but I can’t find it now. The active ingredient is mint oil. Does the job (instant knockdown for hornets) and smells great. It is non-toxic to pets/humans.”
