How to Prevent Bugs at Picnics

Don't let bugs ruin your picnic.

Picnics are a wonderful way to enjoy summer. What isn't so wonderful is enduring the bugs that insist on inviting themselves to the party. As soon as you set everything up, ants start carrying away your food and bees start buzzing around your plate. It's enough to make any picnic lover pack up and go home. Thankfully there are a few easy ways to prevent bugs from spoiling your picnic.

Things You'll Need

• Talcum powder
• Chalk
• Sprigs of mint

Instructions

1. Sprinkle talcum powder. If you enjoy old-style picnics, where everything is spread out on a blanket, you must follow this step. Simply sprinkle talcum powder around the edge of your blanket. Ants hate the feel of talcum powder and won't cross over the line.

2. Draw a chalk line. Another easy way to prevent bugs is to draw a line of chalk around your platters of food. As you're placing dishes on the picnic table, draw a chalk line around each plate. Just like with talcum powder, ants won't cross over the line and your foods will stay bug-free.

3. Place sprigs of mint on the table. Bees enjoy sweet smells and are bound to start buzzing around your picnic table. An easy, and safe, way to prevent this is to place sprigs of mint on the plates. Bees hate the smell of mint and will stay away from all your tempting dishes.

4. Avoid shady and damp areas. Mosquitoes are also a problem at picnics. Luckily, it's easy to prevent them from spoiling your day. All you need to remember is to stay away from areas that are dark and damp. The spot down by the lake, under the big oak tree, may seem tempting, but it's a mosquito hot spot. Play it safe and setup in a sunny area that is dry and far away from ponds and lakes.

Tips & Warnings

• Sprinkle talcum powder before you open food containers. This will prevent the wind from blowing the powder into your dishes while you're sprinkling the area.