🐛How to have a bug FREE BBQ!

Summer is the time for getting together with friends and family, and here at KONA, one of our favorite ways to relax with the people we love is to throw a big BBQ!! 

 

 

There’s nothing better than sitting back with a cold drink, swapping stories, and watching your grill master create those great BBQ foods for you on the grill!  Ahhhh….…perfect!! 

 

 

But then it happens.  You’ve got some uninvited guests.  The bugs come and threaten to ruin your wonderful BBQ!!  KONA never wants a fantastic BBQ ruined by insects. 

 

 

So we’re going to share a few tips that we use that will help to keep those pesky bugs away from your celebration.  We hope they help!!!

 

 

Bug-Free BBQ Continued...

• When you fire up your BBQ grill, make sure to place a pellet filled smoker tube on the grates.  In addition to preparing some great smoked food creations for your guests, the smoke will help to keep mosquitoes away.  Our Kona Sweetwood Blend smoker pellets are great for this because they smell awesome and they’ll keep those pesky bugs away!  Luckily, Kona has a special right now that includes all the tools you need to make those super smoked foods.

 

• Some bugs, especially mosquitoes, breed near standing or stagnant water.  Make sure to empty out anything that could hold water, such as birdbaths or planters.  Make sure there are no low spots in your yard where water could sit.  Remove leaves in and around your gutters so that they do not hold water.

 

• There are outdoor clothing items that repel mosquitoes.  Insect repellent clothing items such as socks and hats will keep the bugs away and are said to retain their repellant qualities through 70 washings.

 

• Make sure to place a fan near your foods to keep the bugs at bay.  It is difficult for them to fly into the wind.  A couple of fans placed in strategic spots will keep the pests at bay, in addition to helping cool off your guests!

 

• The many smells at your BBQ can attract OR repel bugs!  Insect are drawn to certain scents, such as floral scents, stinky shoes, and sweat.  They can also be drawn to the smells of your sweet drinks or to your beer.  The scents of peppermint, eucalyptus or citronella can help to repel these unwanted visitors!  Citronella candles can help keep pests away, but they only cover a small area, so make sure to light several to cover your entire BBQ area.

 

• Wearing lighter colored clothing can reduce the number of bug bites you end up with.  Mosquitoes are drawn to darker colors, so get out those white shirts! 

 

• It’s nearly impossible to get rid of all the pests, and we don’t want flies landing on our foods, so the perfect solution is to buy a set of pop-up mesh food coverings to place over the food items.  They come in some larger sizes, so they’ll cover those larger bowls!

 

• Citronella oil bracelets are available to wear on your wrists or ankles.  You can purchase these in a multi-pak to give out to your guests.

 

• Mow your lawn!  The higher your grass, the longer it takes for the morning dew to evaporate, and the insects like to hang out in that tall dewey grass!  Mow a few days before your party so that grass clippings don’t get tracked into your house if guests will be going in and out.

 

• Plant, plant, plant!!  When planting your spring plants, including some of the plants that are natural pest repellants.  The best ones are catnip, citronella, marigolds and horsemint.  Check out their growing habits first, though.  Some you may want to place in pots rather than in the ground.             

 

Kona Team