How to Keep Wasps Away from Your BBQ & Outdoor Dining
Wasps ruining the BBQ? Here's how to keep wasps away from outdoor dining in NZ — the practical, chemical-free way.
Nothing ruins a Kiwi BBQ like wasps
You've got the snarlers on the grill and the table set — and within minutes, wasps. It's the classic New Zealand summer problem. Here's how to keep wasps away from your BBQ and outdoor dining, chemical-free.
1. Set a wasp trap 30 minutes before cooking
The smell of bait draws wasps to the trap, not your food. Place the GotchaPest Bee-Safe Wasp Trap 10–15m from the table, between the wasps' approach and your dining area.
2. Cover the food
Use mesh food tents for salads, meats and drinks. Wasps zero in on protein and sugar the moment it's exposed.
3. Manage the drinks
- Use lidded cups or stubby holders.
- Wipe sticky spills immediately.
- Keep open cans away from kids — wasps crawl inside.
4. Move the bins
Wheel the kitchen bin to the far side of the section, sealed. Bins are a wasp magnet.
5. Keep a decoy
A second trap at the perimeter catches foraging scouts before they find the table.
Track wasp pressure
Check the GotchaPest app heat map before you host — if your area's hot, prep early. Ask Buzzy 🐝 for a BBQ wasp plan.
Not sure which pest you're dealing with?
Snap a photo and — our NZ-made AI pest assistant will identify it from our verified species database and recommend the right trap. Free, honest, and grounded in real Kiwi catch data.
GotchaPest Team
NZ-made pest control, designed in Aotearoa for Kiwi conditions. Our traps are UV-tough, reusable and bee-safe — paired with the world's first AI Trap Buddy and the GotchaPest community pest tracker. Available at Mitre 10, Kings Plant Barn and right here online.
Trap smarter with GotchaPest
UV-tough, NZ-made traps paired with the app and Buzzy — the first ever AI Trap Buddy.