Latest news with #picnics
BBC News
11-08-2025
- General
- BBC News
The simple trick that stops hungry wasps from ruining your picnic
Long summer days call for picnics – but wasps often make an uninvited appearance. One quick trick can stop them from ruining an al fresco get-together. It's summer in the northern hemisphere and that means Sun, sea – and wasps. A lot of us have been taught to fear wasps as aggressive insects that exist only to make our lives a misery. But with unsustainable wildlife loss across the planet, we need to learn to live alongside all organisms – even wasps. They are important pollinators and predators of insects. A little knowledge about their natural history can help you dine safely alongside wasps. The wasps that usually visit your picnic are typically the common yellowjacket (Vespula vulgaris) and the German wasp (Vespula germanica). They seem to appear from nowhere. What should you do? 1. Stay still, or she'll think you're a predator Her (all workers are female) smell receptors have got her to your picnic table, but she's now using visual landmarks (you and your surroundings) to orientate her way to the food on your plate. Keep your mouth closed and avoid breathing heavily to minimise the release of carbon dioxide, which wasps use as a cue that a predator is attacking. Similarly, if you start flapping and shouting, you are behaving like a predator (mainly badgers in the UK), which might trigger the wasp's attack mode. 2. Watch what she is eating This is a worker wasp. She is looking for food to feed to her sibling larvae in her mother's papery-looking nest. Is she carving off a lump of ham, gathering a dollop of jam or slurping at your sugary drink? Watch what she is eating because this gives you a clue to what your wasp offering will be. She is so focused on her task that she won't notice you watching. 3. Make a wasp-offering to keep her from bothering you Before you know it, she's off with jaws full of jam or a hunk of ham. She might zigzag away from your table – a sign that she is reorientating for a reliable return. Once landmarks are mapped, she will fly straight and fast. If you followed her, she would lead you to her nest. But you are better off using your time to prepare your wasp offering, because she's going to come back soon. Your offering should be a portion of whatever she harvested from your plate. You can move it slightly away from the rest of your food. If you let her have her share, you too can dine in peace. Alamy You can gradually move your wasp offering further away from you. Wasp offerings are well-tested techniques around the world, whether you're looking to track down a wasp nest to eat, or keep customers unbothered by wasps at an outdoor restaurant. Happily, your picnic friend is unlikely to bring a swarm of wasps to your table, because social wasps are poor recruiters. This makes sense because wasp food (insects, carrion) is usually a scattered, short-lived resource. One caterpillar doesn't necessarily mean there's a huge patch of them, for example. This contrasts with honeybees, for which there has been strong natural selection for the evolution of a communication system (waggle dance) to recruit many foragers to a patch of flowers. However, you might get a few wasps at your picnic, especially if the nest is close, just by chance. Wasps tend to be attracted to a forage source by the presence of other wasps. If she sees a few wasps gathered, then she will investigate. But if there are too many wasps, this puts her off. Wasps' changing feeding habits You may already know that wasps go crazy for sugar at the end of the summer. But why do they prefer a protein earlier in the season? It depends on what is going on inside the colony – and this changes with the season. Wasp larvae are carnivorous. Together, the workers rear thousands of larvae. If your wasp wants ham (or some other protein source) at your picnic, you know her colony is full of hungry larvae. You might notice this in early-to-mid summer – and no later than mid-to-late August. Enjoy the knowledge that you are helping feed armies of tiny pest controllers, who will soon set to work regulating populations of flies, caterpillars, aphids and spiders. A defining feature of an adult wasp is the tiny petiole (wasp-waist). This constriction between her thorax and abdomen evolved so her ancestors could bend their abdomens, yoga-style, to parasitise or paralyse their prey. The wasp-waist of an adult worker limits her to a largely liquid diet. She is like a waiter who must deliver feasts to customers without tasting it. The larvae tip her service with a nutritious liquid secretion, which she supplements with nectar from flowers. For much of the season, this is enough. Blend science and a picnic Towards the end of the summer, most wasp larvae have pupated – and a pupated larva doesn't need feeding. So, demand for protein foraging diminishes, as do the sweet secretions that have kept the workers nourished. More like this: • Elephants hate bees – and that helps humans • Air pollution turns bees' world upside down • The bumblebee battle against invasive hornets This means worker wasps must now visit flowers for nectar – although your jam scone or sweet lemonade may also be exceedingly tempting. If your wasp is fixated on sugar at your table, then you know her colony is likely to be in its twilight phase of life. Although time of the year is a good indicator of the balance of ham-to-jam in a wasp's foraging preferences, weather, prey availability, local competition and rate of colony growth can influence them too. This means the switch from ham to jam this year may be different to next year. * Seirian Sumner is a professor of behavioural biology at University College London (UCL). ** This article is adapted from a piece that originally appeared on The Conversation, and is republished under a Creative Commons licence. --
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
DR MAX PEMBERTON: We're becoming a nation of can-oholics: This is why our love of summer tinned cocktails could spiral into a drinking problem
Summer is well and truly here, bringing with it strawberries and cream, ice creams, day trips to the seaside... and the seductive 'pshht-pop' sound of a cocktail can opening. No matter where you go, from barbecues and picnics to cinemas and commuter trains – everyone seems to be consuming ready-mixed drinks whether a simple gin and tonic or a more elaborate blood orange margarita. Their appeal is pretty obvious. They may just be re-imagined alcopops, but they've been cleverly rebranded to appear classy, sophisticated and fun.
CTV News
16-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- CTV News
If You're On The Hunt For Bug Deterrents, Here Are A Few Of The Best You Can Get In Canada Right Now
From sprays and zappers to wearable solutions, here are the top repellents Canadians swear by to keep bugs at bay this summer. Few things ruin an outdoor gathering—or a peaceful summer evening—like a swarm of buzzing, biting insects. Whether you're relaxing on the patio, hiking in the woods, or tending your garden, swatting at uninvited guests and itching afterwards is no way to spend the summer. The good news is that you have loads of options for keeping the peskiest pests away this season. Classic bug sprays still exist and work great, even if you'd prefer to go DEET-free. Alternatively, opt for fans, zappers, or clever gadgets that will protect your personal space from those insect interlopers. Go ahead and plan that picnic or weekend camping trip—these bug-busting essentials have you covered. Here are the absolute best bug deterrents you can get in Canada right now: 14 Alcohol-Free Beers, Spirits, And Pre-Mixed Mocktails That Taste Just As Good As The Real Deal I Deal With Spring Allergies Every Year, And Here Are My Favourite Products That Help 14 Of Our Favourite Tools for Post-Workout Recovery and Flexibility Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We'll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes.
CNN
14-06-2025
- CNN
The Nomadix Festival Blanket turns any terrain into a lounge space. Here's why it's my new summer staple
As soon as spring temperatures begin to creep over 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the sun emerges from behind the clouds, I race to get outdoors and embrace the weather (and a good book) as soon as I can. And an afternoon spent lounging at the park, pool or beach isn't complete without a good blanket to spread out on. For years now, I've seen and even written about the Nomadix Festival Blanket, which promises to give you a comfortable and protective surface to lounge on, no matter where you are. Nomadix towels are already staples on my travel packing list, and after testing the Festival Blanket for myself over the past few weeks, it's quickly become one of my most essential pieces of outdoor gear and surely will remain so for many summers to come. Nomadix Festival Blanket The Nomadix Festival Blanket turns any terrain into a lounge space. Designed with a waterproof, dirt-resistant base layer and a soft top to lie on, it's a great companion for park picnics or days at the beach. The durable build and its lightweight, packable design make it well worth the $70 price tag. It holds up against the elements What sets the Nomadix Festival Blanket apart from the throw blanket on the back of your couch is that it's designed with the outdoors in mind. The blanket is made of two layers: The first is a microsuede top layer designed to keep lounging comfortable, and the second is a water-resistant bottom layer to keep you clean and dry on damp or dusty ground. The bottom layer is really what makes this a blanket built for the outdoors, and by protecting you from damp grass or sticky sand, the Nomadix Festival Blanket turns pretty much any surface into one you can sit on. During my testing, dirt, sand and water rolled right off the bottom layer of the blanket. These elements were equally as easy to shake loose from the blanket once my park or beach day was done, which helped ensure my tote bag didn't end up full of debris. Both the top and bottom layers of the Festival Blanket are made from postconsumer recycled polyester, which might make you feel a little less ecological guilt for buying something new. It's comfortable Once it's spread out, the Nomadix Festival Blanket looks and feels, for the most part, like a normal picnic blanket. The blanket overall is pretty thin but still has enough protection to keep you from feeling like you're sitting directly on the ground. The microsuede top feels soft to lie on, and, unlike other blankets I've tried, the material didn't stick to my skin once my arms and legs started to sweat, which I appreciated. The blanket is also spacious. I'm 5 feet, 7 inches tall on a good day and was able to comfortably lie down across the blanket with plenty of room left over for my bag, books or an extra lounging companion. Nomadix's Festival Blanket comes in 14 different print options, and I found the blue polka dot design decorating my blanket utterly adorable. It's a small thing, but it brought me a little extra dose of joy to see the bright pattern sprawled out in the sunshine. Despite how cute it looks, it's worth noting that the microsuede top isn't quite as element-resistant as the blanket's bottom. When shaken or brushed off, sand and large dirt particles are easily removed from the blanket, though darker dirt or mud clumps might leave behind some stains. The top is also not water-resistant, so if you spill your drink or hop down onto the blanket after a dip in the ocean, it'll stay damp unless you allow it to dry out in the direct sun. Any discoloration left behind by dirt or spills was gone after I washed the blanket, but just know that you'll be compromising some element-resistance on the top for the sake of comfort, which I found to be a pretty fair trade. It's lightweight and packable On my first outing with the Nomadix Festival Blanket in tow, I didn't head to the park right away. Instead, I roamed around New York City for a few hours — running errands, doing some window shopping and even checking out some new exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art — all the while shocked that my shoulder wasn't feeling weighted down by the blanket I was carrying. When I did finally make it to the park, I took the blanket out of my bag and spread it across the ground without any issues. When it first arrived at my door, I expected the blanket to be much heavier than it is. Despite the generous 60-by-72-inch size, it only weighs 2 pounds. I also anticipated the blanket being thicker, since it has two different fabric sides, but it folded up small enough to easily throw in my tote bag along with a water bottle, wallet, e-reader and other odds and ends. Plus, the Nomadix blanket actually stayed folded up and compact while it was in my bag, which isn't always the case with outdoor blankets. This made it easier to see the rest of the items I'd packed and prevented me from having to take the blanket out of my tote to dig for something underneath it. To test its packability even further, I stashed the Nomadix Festival Blanket in my carry-on for a weeklong trip to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It was no trouble to throw in my duffel bag and fit comfortably in my Mystery Ranch daypack when I wanted to take it on beach excursions. In all these instances, I almost always forgot I had a full-size blanket in my bag, since the Festival Blanket is both lightweight and low profile when folded up. It doesn't include stakes One of the best things about the Nomadix Festival Blanket is that it's designed with loops on each of the four corners so you can secure the blanket to the ground using stakes. Because the blanket is so lightweight, the corners do have a tendency to fold back on themselves on windy days, so being able to stake the blanket to the ground can make a world of difference, preventing you from getting wrapped into a blanket burrito and having to readjust your spread every few minutes. But the Nomadix Festival Blanket doesn't come with its own set of stakes. This isn't a deal breaker, and Nomadix clearly states that stakes aren't included with the blanket on its site. All it took was a run to my local hardware store and an extra $6 to find stakes that would do the job. Alternatively, you could grab a few sticks or rocks from around your lounging site, but when you're shelling out $70 for a blanket, it'd be nice if there were some stakes already thrown in with the purchase. It's not cheap Look, $70 is a decent amount to spend on a blanket, especially when you could get by using an old throw or sheet for your summer outings. However, it's worth considering that the Nomadix Festival Blanket provides more protection from the elements than any old fleece throw. Compared to other waterproof outdoor blankets from competitors like Yeti, RTIC and Rumpl, the Nomadix Blanket is cheaper by a margin of anywhere from $30 to $130. Even less expensive outdoor blankets, like this one from still start at around $60. Given the quality of its build, its packability and the cost of competing outdoor blankets, I don't think $70 is an outrageous price to pay for the Nomadix Festival Blanket, especially since I'm confident that it's durable enough to last for many years to come. The Nomadix Festival Blanket is an all-around great outdoor blanket, and now it's really the only one I think of grabbing when I see that the sun's out. It's thoughtfully designed with stake loops, a soft microsuede top and a waterproof, dirt-resistant bottom that ensures the elements stay where they belong. Though it's big enough for two people to sprawl out on, it's still lightweight and portable enough to carry around all day, making it great for those who like to explore. If you already have a picnic blanket or beach blanket that's serving you just fine, you probably don't need to shell out $70 on the Nomadix Festival Blanket. But if you're looking for a replacement, an upgrade or a gift for the adventurous folks in your life, the Nomadix Festival Blanket has proved to be a versatile outdoor blanket that makes a great companion for any outing. Can you wash the Nomadix Festival Blanket? Can you wash the Nomadix Festival Blanket? Yes, the Nomadix Festival Blanket is machine-washable. After a few days dirtying up my blanket at the park, I machine-washed it with a load of other towels and linens using the cool temperature setting. You can hang the blanket to dry to save energy, but I took the convenient route and tumble-dried mine on low heat. It came out looking as good as new with no visible fading or damage. How do Nomadix blankets compare to other outdoor blankets? How do Nomadix blankets compare to other outdoor blankets? It's hard to say how the Nomadix Festival blanket compares to every outdoor blanket out there. Previously, I was using this Therm-A-Rest Argo Blanket for my park days, and I do prefer the Nomadix Festival Blanket since it's waterproof and more comfortable to lie on. While the Nomadix blanket is a bit pricier than run-of-the-mill quilts or beach blankets you can grab on Amazon, it has a much more thoughtful design. I can tell the Nomadix blanket is thoughtfully made for sitting and spreading out, as opposed to just warmth. Intentional features like the waterproof base ensure you stay dry while the microsuede top keeps you comfortable and doesn't stick to your skin as you sweat. Nomadix also makes a few other blankets, including a Blanket Towel and a Puffer Blanket, though I haven't reviewed either yet myself. We are, however, big fans of the Nomadix Original Towel for saving space and keeping us dry when we travel. CNN Underscored has a team of writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and they ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when relevant to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. For this story, associate editor Jillian Tracy tested the Nomadix Festival blanket, packing it for days at the park and international vacations, to see how it held up.
