How to Have a Bug-Free Barbecue

The weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming, and dads everywhere are dusting off their grill covers and tongs. That’s right: it’s grilling season again! One of the most popular holidays for this method of cooking is Memorial Day, which is right around the corner. But with all of the festivities and outdoor parties unfortunately comes a swarm of freshly-hatched pests ready to consume our food and annoy our guests. There are some easy ways to prevent your barbecue sessions from being overrun by insects, and they will hopefully leave you with a pest-free barbecue that is all about the delicious food, not the buzzing insects trying to steal it.

Get Rid of Standing Water

This is important to do anytime during warm weather, but especially after a rain storm. Some water-loving insects lay their eggs in the water, the most notable being the mosquito. Countless eggs can be laid in any source of water, and it is a big problem when they hatch. Dump out any water from children’s toys, grill covers, birdbaths, or the drainage pans under plant pots. Keep an eye on the water dish if you have a dog to make sure it’s not sharing its water with pesky insects. Grass or plants that are consistently watered aren’t the problem, since the puddles and collections of water are the concern here. 

Trim Back Plants

This is another preventative measure to take before the party starts. Make sure all bushes and shrubs are trimmed back from the house, as well as any tree branches that may be brushing against the side. Insects use any plants touching the house as easy highways to gain access to our homes, and therefore our barbecue parties. Also, thick shrubbery in general is an easy place for pests to hide out and grow their family or colony. It isn’t necessary to do yard work every day, but it would help to keep greenery relatively trimmed throughout the warm seasons. Spider webs deep inside the bushes may help to trap smaller pests, but they also mean that there could be a bunch of spiders hiding out in your yard. 

Grill in the Sun

This may not be completely possible depending on the setup of your yard and the time of day that you’re grilling, but it also helps to grill in the sun. The heat keeps pests away, so the combination of the grill and the sunshine will help prevent some insects from annoying you while you grill delicious food. Also, try not to barbecue near any trees. This not only helps with fire safety, but also with preventing pests from swarming your cook station. The early afternoon would be the best time to grill in order to avoid the most pests, even though that’s much earlier than the typical barbecue takes place. Most insects, like mosquitoes and cockroaches, come out when it gets darker outside. The moral of the story is to grill in the sun in as clear of an area as you can, since no one likes trying to cook a great meal while you’re being attacked by pests. 

Keep Food Covered

This is possibly the most important tip on this list. Pests that invade a barbecue are after our food, so it is important to make it as difficult as possible for them to get to it. If you are serving food outside in serving dishes, keep them covered as much as possible. There are many different sizes and types of mesh covers available to buy at big box stores. These handy covering help you to see what the container is holding without lifting the cover so that guests can figure out exactly what they want without exposing the food to pests. You can always use tin foil, plastic wrap, plastic lids, unfolded napkins, or paper towels to cover food as well. Any kind of barrier, no matter how thin it is, will greatly reduce the amount of pests attacking our food when we are just trying to enjoy the party. 

Keep Drinks Covered

In the same line of thinking, it is helpful to cover open drink containers during the barbecue to prevent pests from helping themselves to our beverages. There is nothing worse than going to take a sip of your favorite drink and finding that you are unwillingly sharing it with a bug that decided to go for a swim. It gets even worse when that insect is a stinging pest, since a sting on your lips or – worst of all – in your mouth is the last thing you need when you are attending or hosting a fun barbecue. One easy DIY life hack is to use cupcake liners as individual drink covers for guests. Poke a hole in the liner for a straw if desired, and you have yourself an insect-free drink to enjoy. If you have pitchers of drinks sitting out, you can either move them inside or cover them with lids or another type of covering. It’s bad enough to swat flies away from your meal without the added annoyance of sharing beverages with a random bug. 

Have a Fan or Two

This is a two-in-one tip that is very helpful in the summertime. Some people already have ceiling fans on the patio, so make sure to put that to use during the barbecue if you have one. If not, keep one or two fans in the eating area to help guests enjoy an insect-free meal. Small insects like mosquitoes and flies can’t fly in extreme wind, hence why we don’t see them on very windy days. Therefore, they won’t fly around anyplace with a fan due to the simple fact that they can’t! On warmer days, your guests will likely thank you since they are now cooled off while still enjoying the great outdoors. The only downside is that it will cool off the hot food more quickly. Make sure all of the serving dishes are covered, especially with tin foil, to keep food as warm as possible. 

Light Some Candles

Citronella candles are not as effective as we are led to believe. They don’t completely ward off mosquitoes, since they only block a very small percentage of their receptors. But citronella does help at least a little, so it wouldn’t hurt to have a few candles or tiki torches around the entertaining area. Plus, it adds a bit of ambience to the party! Essential oils may provide some pest control in general, so it can also be fun to diffuse some lemon eucalyptus or lavender oils in the area beforehand. The typical porch lights may attract more insects if the barbecue party goes later, so it could help to avoid using those lights as much as possible. On the other hand, it also wouldn’t be the worst idea to have a fly swatter handy in case pests still decide to break through these preventative methods and crash the party. 

Use Herbs Beyond Seasoning

If you are the grill-master, you are likely thinking about the seasonings you will use on the meat laying on the grill. Herbs are great choices for any kind of meat, especially if they are infused into a butter sauce or brushed over the meat as it cooks. But did you know that herbs can also help prevent pests from swarming your party? It’s true! Again, this does not ensure that you will never have an insect invasion during a fun barbecue. But it can greatly reduce the number of bugs that seem to enjoy walking all over your barbecued brisket and baked potatoes. Basil, lemongrass, mint, thyme, and rosemary are some of our most beloved herbs and some of insects’ most despised deterrents. If you already have an herb garden, you have an advantage in this arena. But if not, try laying some sprigs of fresh herbs on tables and near the grill. Sliced lemons are another random natural repellent that will drive pests away from the delicious meal. These foods also double as aesthetic decorations that are eco-friendly! 

Keep Doors Closed

This is a tough one, especially if you have little kids in attendance that seem to make a game out of running in and out of the house. It is also difficult when the food is inside but everyone is eating outside, so you have to go back and forth. Try to keep the doors and windows to the house closed as much as possible, and encourage your guests to do the same when their hands aren’t full with their mouthwatering meal. It will be near impossible to get rid of those buzzing houseflies once they make their way into the kitchen and starting hovering around the delectable chips, potatoes, and garlic bread. 

Have Bug Spray Available

This is a great way to serve your guests in a way that will benefit them long after the party is over. If you notice people swatting away bugs more than normal, or if dusk is nearing and the mosquitoes are closing in, it’s a good idea to have bug spray readily available. There are countless varieties to choose from, and you can’t go wrong with most of them. Just make sure that the one you choose has an EPA label on it, and some kind of effective ingredient list that includes DEET or lemongrass. You can buy a few cans and have them on different tables, inside and outside, for guests to spray their arms and legs with in order to avoid being bitten. They should be going home with full stomachs and incredible leftovers, not a slew of itchy bites to deal with for the rest of the week.

Serve the Food Inside

This may not be possible or wanted for everyone, but it does help when the buffet takes place inside instead of outside. If you have a long counter or island of some kind, you can line up the serving dishes for guests to make their way through before they head out back to enjoy the beautiful weather. By serving indoors, you won’t have to be as concerned with making sure everything is covered. There might be at least one fly (remember the revolving door issue from earlier?), but it’s better than dealing with the horde of ants or meat bees that are waiting outside. 

Clean Up

This is a less-fun task, but it is necessary in order to be sure that pests aren’t waiting to attack as an afterparty. Make sure there are trash cans available in different areas so that guests of all ages know where they can throw their trash away. Discard any abandoned plates or cups that clearly don’t have a returning owner to eliminate the source of food for hungry insects. When the party is nearing a close or is completely over, wipe up any crumbs or spills that happened in the party zone. Throw away any plastic tablecloths (another life hack for easy cleanup) and sanitize all eating areas to be sure that no smells or substances are lingering for pests to enjoy before they take over your kitchen. 

Hire Pest Control First

The best way to prevent pests from affecting the wonderful barbecue that you planned is to schedule pest control services beforehand. Our team is trained and experienced in providing a pest-free environment for your home or business, no matter what party you’re planning or meat you’re grilling. 

Citations

7 simple ways to keep bugs away from your bbq. (n.d.) Green Goo. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://greengoo.com/blogs/news/7-simple-ways-to-keep-bugs-away-from-your-bbq 

Fredericks, J. (2015, June 23). How to: Prevent bugs from ruining your backyard bbq. Bob Vila. Available at https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-keep-bugs-away-from-your-barbecue/ (Accessed on April 22, 2022). 

Pennell, J. (2017, May 29). 7 ways to keep bugs out of your barbecue from Martha Stewart. Today. Available at https://www.today.com/home/insect-bug-repellent-ideas-backyard-barbecue-t112024 (Accessed on April 22, 2022).