Creepy-Crawly Party Crashers

     With Summer upon us we are currently in high gear for picnic season.  When it applies to outdoor activities, the old adage "the more, the merrier" seems to be the catch phrase for get-togethers.  Except when it comes to insects.  According to the website BrightNest, you can avoid those uninvited creepy crawlers with these simple tips:

Use Marigold Centerpieces.  Not only are marigolds an attractive accessory, they're also natural insect repellents.  Placing a pot of them on the table will keep bees and other bugs from milling around your sumptuous spread.



Place cucumbers on the ground.  To keep ants from scaling the table, place slices of cucumbers (which ants hate) on the ground surrounding its legs.  Tip: to avoid odd looks from guests, grate the cucumber into shreads and camouflage it in the grass.

Be garden smart. Purchase the following bug-repelling plants in pots and place them strategically around the yard:  lavender, citronella, spearmint, and chrysanthemum.  Bonus: Your backyard bash will smell divine.

Grill with herbs.  Sage and rosemary smell dreamy to us, but they're a bug's worst nightmare.  Placing these herbs directly on the coals of the grill when barbecuing will have your human guest gathering around and insect fleeing to neighboring yards.