What Are Wasps Attracted To?

Did you know that wasps live everywhere except Antarctica? Or the fact that they make nests out of paper?!

Well they do and we are here today to discuss fascinating details about why these creatures are attracted to the most unique things like wine, the color yellow or even lavender and perfume!

Read through the upcoming sections as we break myths and establish facts about the things that wasps are attracted to.

Are wasps attracted to Yellow?

Yellow is generally a universal color that seems to attract insects. This is due to yellow being the color of plants when they are under stress. Insects (Wasps included) will seek out yellowing plants as they will believe through millions of years of evolution that the plants defences are weakened.

Hence, it is advisable not be wearing yellow if you are working in a garden, field or other area that is often frequented by wasps.

Are wasps attracted to Vinegar?

The answer to this question is a definite and resounding yes! Wasps are very attracted to vinegar mixtures which is they are often used as excellent bait for trapping the wasps and killing them.

Although the exact reasons why wasps are attracted to vinegar aren’t quite understood. It can act as a cheap and natural alternative to using harmful chemical based pesticides.

Just pour some white vinegar into a garden spray bottle and get at it.

Are wasps attracted to Urine?

Have you ever wondered why bees and ants seem to be attracted to urine?

Well in the case of wasps it is even worse! They seem to be attracted more and more towards dog urine than anything else. What could be the reason for this unseemly attraction? Well, the reason is quite simply that dogs too urinate a mixture of sugar as well as undigested products that remain in the urine and attract the wasps.

However, it is not a common thing and generally it can indicate an abnormality in the dog’s system if wasps are being continuously attracted to their urine.

Getting your dog tested with a routine check up might be the right thing to do in this case as wasps are generally less inclined to be attracted towards normal dog urine. Scientists have also stated that dogs in general use markers to urinate and mark their territory and some chemical used for this might be what is attracting the wasps.

Are wasps attracted to Orange?

Orange and Yellow sit next to one another on the light spectrum. Which could go some way to explaining why wasps tend to be attracted to orange.

Another more conventional answer would be that quite a few orange things tend to be sweet. For instance oranges! which contain sugar, which in turn attracts the wasps.

Yes, wasps are attracted to orange, because they are most likely associating it with a food source. Such as oranges (the fruit) or orange juice.

Are wasps attracted to Electricity?

Wasps in general are not attracted to electricity or electronics. However, wasps do need safe places for their communities and electric lines and power grid are an untapped source of land where they can do this.

During the winter months, the wasps look for cover for their queens who will hide and hibernate to go through the winter and then build their colonies up again. To do this they always try to choose places that won’t be disturbed and power lines are one such opportunity for them.

Thus, it is safe to assume that they aren’t attracted to electricity but may be found to live near the power lines often enough. Also do not mistake heat for electricity. Wasps are in fact very much attracted to the heat of your home especially during cooler months and this is because they cannot withstand cold temperatures and are looking for warmer shelters. Thus, we can safely answer that wasps are not attracted to electricity or electronics.

Are wasps attracted to White?

Wasps are in general less attracted to white or pale colors. This is because their eyesight attracts them towards brighter colors. The brighter the shade, the more they are attracted towards it. White on the other hand is a sedate color that may not attract the bees and wasps and other insects. This makes it a really great choice of clothing for hikes and other nature trips where you might encounter a few of these pollinators and insects.

To keep on the safe side, do not pair your white clothing with citrus perfumes or sweet perfumes or any colorful scarf that might end up making the wasp think that you’re a flower. And if you’re wondering why perfumes and colors might make such a difference then read on to know more!

Are wasps attracted to Red?

The eyesight of insects is a complex structure that has been studied by our scientist for a long time! Most scientists have concluded that insects in general cannot see’ or perceive the color red. Why is that?

Well, we see things due to the light that they reflect back into our eyes where our neurons strive to make sense of the perceived frequency of light. Due to a quirk of nature, wasps and bees cannot see the color red because of their optic pigments. In simple terms, the color red simply appears to them as a void or blackness that they are very rarely attracted to.

On the plus side, this makes them avoid red color (or even shades of it) which is good for nature adventurers and hikers and kids on a picnic who do not want to be present on the receiving end of a wasp’s sting. Thus, remember to wear red if you do not want to be perceived as a source of pollen, food or a threat by wasps and bees!

Are wasps attracted to Roses?

Wasps are attracted to many flowers but however, there are some exceptions to this. They are attracted mostly for the sweet fragrance and the nectar but towards warm or colors like red, not so much actually.

They are not attracted to such flowers which don’t produce nectar and have a warm color on them including the red color. Thus wasps might be attracted to other flowers but it can be said with absolute certainty that they aren’t attracted to roses and they love flowers which have nectar or cold colors.

Are wasps attracted to Sugar?

Wasps are in general attracted to food with a high protein amount in them and are carnivorous in nature but they also have a knack for ripe fruits and sugar items.

Towards the end of their life cycle when it is approximately the time of May and the worker wasps duties are over, they are no longer controlled by the queen but become more hungry due to their own pheromones and they love sugar items during that period.

This is the time when most of us get frustrated with their regular visits into our homes. Another reason why they might be coming into the home is the presence of heat. The wasps know that they cannot survive the colder months and they need heat so they might be focused on the heat radiating from your homes which makes them regular visitors.

However, this is often a nuisance and many people use a sugar and water mixture to trap the wasps in a homemade DIY trap. Thus we can affirmatively say that wasps are attracted to sugar items and food items which are high in sugar content.

The traps are very easy to make and the sugar solution bait works perfectly for the wasps and they get trapped when they come inside of it. However the downside to these traps is that while these are extremely effective with wasps and killing them, they are also very effective on other insects as well which may be beneficial to the ecosystem and not harmful to the homemakers or families like the wasps.

Are wasps attracted to Water?

Wasps are naturally attracted to water to quench their thirst. Water bodies in general are a place where you are likely to find bees and wasps. However do they prefer places with water rather than those without? Well, the answer to that is yes and no.

Wasps do not like rain and will immediately go for shelter if the temperature and pressure falls to indicate oncoming rainy weather. However, they do tend to frequent gardens which have water sources more than other sites which do not simply because of the fact that they enjoy the water as a refreshing source of hydration.

However, due to rising pollution and bad quality of natural water, wasps and bees are often found lying dead on the water surfaces, which is a severe reason why their numbers are declining and their communities are destabilising.

Are wasps attracted to Wine?

Wasps are attracted to a lot of open food that are either ripe or slightly over ripe but the question that we want answered is: Are wasps attracted to wine? Well, the answer to this is complex. The reason that bread and wine exist can also be attributed to the tasks of wasps. Wasps carry yeast within them that help with the creation of the delicious treats like wine, bread and beer!

Without yeast none of these items would have the edible quality or the taste that they currently do and scientists have found out that wasps contribute greatly towards that. Thus, wasps are attracted towards wine as they are attracted to most over ripe fruits or food items and wine being a fermented item appeals to their senses and they are attracted towards it thinking it to be a source of food.

Are wasps attracted to Sunflowers?

Wasps are in fact majorly attracted towards sunflowers! Not only that, often they are the reason why gardeners see their precious flowers wilt away due to excessive activity on their delicate petals.

As we discussed above wasps have a different range of vision and eyesight than we do. Wasps are more and more attracted towards the yellow color over others due to their vision trends and this is the reason why they are attracted to the beautiful and bright yellow sunflower more than other flowers.

Often, wasps can be seen flying around or even landing and exploring the bright yellow flower heads during the summer months. However, this isn’t always best for the flowers as they are delicate and tend to shed their petals due to excessive trampling.

Are wasps attracted to Carbon Dioxide?

Like all other insects, wasps have a developed olfactory sensory input that they understand and use to navigate as well as target prey. Wasps in general do not predate on humans or try to attack them but they may be forced to do so when they perceive a threat that they want to neutralize.

Wasps can detect your location with almost 100% certainty using the carbon dioxide that all human forms exhale. They are attracted to the carbon dioxide and can definitely latch on to the carbon dioxide to trace your location when they are attacking you.

Thus, if you find yourself on the wrong end of an angry wasp then staying silent will not help because even without any audio cues they will be able to trace where you are and then attack.

Are wasps attracted to Tulips?

Wasps are not attracted to tulips. In fact it is a very good plant to keep in your garden if you do not want wasps to be bothering you. Along with tulips other plants like marigolds, jasmine, primrose and geraniums help to repel wasps and keep them away from the gardens where they are planted.

However keeping them totally away from your lands may not be good for the ecosystem as they have important roles to play here in the ecosystem including pollination of certain flowers. Without them, these plants and flowers will slowly die off in your gardens and your lands. Thus, keeping them away is a double edged sword that can harm you as well as benefit you.

Are wasps attracted to UV light?

Yes, wasps and other small insects are attracted towards UV lights and their eyes are sensitive towards this spectrum of light. That’s why many insect killer or catcher use UV lights to trap and kill insects, including wasps.

They come attracted towards the light source and then they are trapped there. Some insects are attracted towards yellow light and thus some street lamps are made yellow. Others mostly are attracted towards the UV light and many of them are nocturnal too. Their compound eyes help them to see the full range of the color spectrum as a normal human and even more. Thus we can conclude that wasps are attracted towards UV lights and that is a proven and established fact with evidence.

Are wasps attracted to Oil?

Bees are in general not attracted to oils but rather the diesel fuel and other such components. In fact, a number of oils are considered as an amazing natural way of repelling bees and wasps and all kinds of insects.

As we discussed in the different sections bugs and wasps get killed by other toxic ways in terms of traps and other solutions but other insects which are beneficial may also end up dead in the process.

Thus, many homemakers and families choose to drive the wasps and unwanted insects away naturally using oils like tea tree oil, mint oil and peppermint oil. Do try these at home if you are suffering problems due to uninvited wasps and bugs entering your houses.

Are wasps attracted to Bug Zappers?

Wasps are insects that are sensitive to the light spectrum and especially the UV light Spectrum. Most modern day bug zappers use a combination of UV light to attract bugs and then zap them with electricity.

Thus wasps and other insects are generally attracted to the UV light present in the modern day bug zappers and thus they can do their work efficiently of making an environment bug free by zapping them.

Hence we can say for certainty that wasps are attracted towards the bug zappers. But using this as an effective means of keeping the wasps away may not be a good idea as bug zappers kill indiscriminately. It kills the wasps definitely but it also kills other insects which do not disturb the household and that might affect the ecosystem of the place.

Are wasps attracted to Black?

While thinking of being aggressive one might not think the Colors red or black or dark colors, in general, to be aggressive. But for wasps, it is so and they are naturally wired to think of them as predators and thus they are attracted to black and dark colors but just not in a good way but for self defence and attack and they might attack your neck region or the face as they perceive it to be the most vulnerable region of the body.

Their bite or sting can cause your body part to swell up which shall be followed by pain. Any dark color clothes or fragrances which are sweet and resemble a flower are best avoided and floral printed dresses too. Any light color apparel shall keep you safe and away from the wasps.

Thus we can conclude that wasps are attracted to dark colors but only because they are threatened by it and in self defence, these colors make them aggressive in general.

Are wasps attracted to Lavender?

Lavender fields during full bloom have often been observed to be full of these bees and wasps who regularly visit the place whenever they are blooming. Have you ever wondered why this happens? Why they are attracted towards the lavender more than any other flower or color?

Well scientists have helped us to find a reason for that. Wasps are attracted to cold colors and lavenders are generally of that color and of fewer petals. They also play a major role for pollination and thus lavender attracts a lot of insects including wasps to help them pollinate and wasps are attracted to the nectar in the plants which they suck on.

Thus wasps are attracted to the lavender plants which are cold in color, have fewer petals and have nectar for the wasps and other insects which help them to pollinate. They are generally purple in color and they have oil but that repels moth and not wasps. It has been found out from researchers that the oil only keeps away moths.

Are wasps attracted to Perfume?

Generally wasps are not attracted towards perfumes but if your perfume has a sweet smell to it or even if you are wearing any dress with floral prints on them, then wasps might be attracted towards you or linger near to you as they use their senses of sight and smell to defect flowers and thus this tricks them into thinking that you might be a flower and hence they are attracted towards you.

Thus you should always be careful while applying deodorant with a sweet smell to it. Wasps shall be attracted to you naturally and you should be careful of their stings it can painful at times and hence you should avoid it as much as possible. If you don’t especially like perfumes with a sweet fragrance, you should wear perfumes with a normal smell or something that is not sweet so that you don’t attract wasps towards yourself.

Are wasps attracted to Cigarette Smoke?

Wasps are almost always attracted to strong smells as we have seen in the preceding sections but in this case they are almost always not attracted to the smell of harsh cigarette smoke.

The reason for this is unknown but scientists have noted that in nature it is very difficult to convince any animal or in this case flies and insects to partake any form of substance. Reasons may lie in the fact that most of the substances that are abused by humans one of which is nicotine from which cigarette is made is actually developed as a defense mechanism by the plants and organisms responsible intended to injure or incapacitate their predators or make them seem distasteful/unappetizing as prey.

Due to this reason it might be explained why wasps will go into areas having strong smells but they will not go near cigarette smoke. Instead, they stay away from the smell.

Are wasps attracted to Chlorine?

During hot summer months it is most refreshing to just forget your worries and the heat wave and just chill by the pool and get your tan on. However, these reprieves might often be converted into stressful experience due to the presence of bees and wasps. During the summer months it is almost always a guarantee that wasps will be attracted to your swimming pool because of the chlorine. But why would they be attracted towards chlorine?

Well, wasps are attracted to most strong smells and rotten ones too at times. Because of this they become interested in your swimming pool which is definitely not good for you during the hot summer months. However, it is relatively easy to get rid of unwanted wasps and bees from your swimming pool by using some simple tricks.

Wasps in general are extremely territory protective. They do not venture into the territory of other nests and they get defensive if anyone ventures into theirs. Thus, as soon as you spot the wasps congregating near your pool start to create a decoy nest that will be taken as a sign by the visitor wasp that there is already an existing territory marked near the zone of your pool. Hence they will steer clear and you will be able to calmly enjoy your summer reprieve and your tan by the swimming pool.

Another easier method is to simply put bottles of diesel fuel (if you can spare some) near your pool. Wasps are extremely attracted towards diesel fuel due to some weird reason and due to this they will even dive into the bottle full of it just to investigate the attractive scent. This will almost always kill the wasps and prevent them from going near your swimming pool.

Are wasps attracted to Maple Syrup?

Wasps have a specific diet and are found to prefer certain food sources that maybe unusual at times. Maple trees are often found to be absolutely covered by wasps in various places and this is a common phenomenon because the wasps seem to love the sap of the maple trees that serves as food to them.

However, the tree sometimes gets sick and also acquires infestations as a side effect of this which often harms the health of the tree. This is a major reason why farmers and croppers are often seen attacking wasps. The use of traps to eliminate wasps is very common but in these tree infestation scenarios they harm the tree as much as they harm the unwanted wasps that are creating the unwanted situation.

Scientists have stated that it is for the same reason that they are attracted towards maple syrup which also has the added benefit of being sugary which is another attraction that the wasps have.

Are wasps attracted to Azaleas?

Before we answer this question we must focus on the type of plant that an azalea is. An azalea belongs to the category of rhododendrons! We all have a few of these in our gardens due to its amazing colors and beautiful flowers but what most people do not know is that rhododendrons have this amazing attraction to bees and wasps like catnip is to a kitten!

On most blooming seasons you can easily observe a steady traffic of bees and wasps coming in to visit the rhododendrons and this can be both positive and negative depending on what you want out of your garden. If you want your garden to be a safe haven where you bring children for picnics and have parties then this is definitely an unpleasant experience for you.

Female bees are extremely well known for stinging when they perceive danger and they are extremely aggressive about the entire process. Thus, it might be noted here that azaleas are plants that you do not want in your garden if you are trying to keep bees and wasps away from visiting your land.

Conclusion

We have come to an end of our extensive list of attractions that the wasps find irresistible and it has been quite a journey from urine to wine to electricity to flowers and colors that they are attracted to. Here we have compiled all the facts and figures available through science about why wasps and bees are attracted to the things mentioned above. We hope that we haven’t left out any major attractions and if you know of any then contact us and let us know! We hope that you enjoyed the fun facts and informative bites and thank you all for reading.