The warm summer months mean sunny days, family picnics, and wasps. The uninvited guests usually prompt chaos at otherwise wholesome outings. Now, experts have revealed what you should really do if a wasp gatecrashes your picnic. The worst thing you can do is run away. Flapping your arms and shouting only makes you look like a predator, and that will almost always trigger a wasp’s attack mode. Keep your mouth closed and avoid breathing heavily to minimize the release of carbon dioxide, which wasps use as a cue that a predator is attacking. Wasps that visit your picnic are typically the common yellowjacket and the German wasp. They’re female and will be looking for food to feed their sibling larvae. The best way to keep them from bothering you is to provide a “wasp offering.” Watch what the wasp is going for — a chunk of ham, a dollop of jam, or slurping at your sugary drink. Your offering should be a portion of whatever she harvested from your plate, and then move it slightly away from the rest of the food. If you let her have her share, you can dine in peace.
