Hosting a BBQ? Watch out for these BBQ pests

You’ve got the burger patties marinating, the cooler stocked and the lawn chairs out. But while you’re prepping for your cookout, so are the mosquitoes, ants and wasps. Most people plan around the food and the guest list and figure pests are just bad luck. But a backyard BBQ is actually doing a lot of the inviting on its own.

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So what is it about a summer cookout that pests find so hard to resist? Knowing the answer can help you head off a swarm before it sends your guests running for the door.

Why your BBQ attracts pests in the first place

“In the summer, there’s an increase in temperature that helps insects fulfill their life cycle in shorter periods, generating larger numbers of offspring,” says Dr. Mariah Baggio-Deibler, Ph.D., a technical director at PestMaster, a pest management franchise headquartered in Reno, Nevada.

Once that population is out there, three main things pull it toward BBQs, according to Emma Grace Crumbley, an entomologist at Mosquito Squad Plus, a pest control company based in Richmond, Virginia:

• Space: Standing water, shady corners and yard debris give pests places to breed and hide.
• People: Sweat, body heat and exhaled carbon dioxide draw in mosquitoes and gnats, while sticky hands attract ants and wasps.
• Food: Whether it’s on the grill, sitting out or in the trash, food draws in nearly everything from wasps to rodents.

Here’s a closer look at the most common BBQ pests, and what’s pulling each one in:

Image courtesy of the entomologists of SC Johnson, makers of Raid.

Mosquitoes

“Mosquitoes are attracted to accessible, standing water and nearby hosts (your BBQ guests),” Crumbley explains.

At a typical barbecue, that water problem can come from places you might not think to check, like a clogged gutter, an unused birdbath or even a kiddie pool set up for guests. Mosquito activity often spikes after a heavy rain, so it’s worth checking the forecast before you commit to hosting outside.

As for the hosts, mosquitoes track people (and their blood) down by detecting carbon dioxide, body heat, sweat and body odor. There’s no covering that up at a BBQ full of people standing around a hot grill. But it is possible to make yourself less appealing to them. “At my home, we use a fan to help push insects away,” notes Brandon Runyon, a board-certified entomologist at Swat Pest, a pest control company in Evansville, Indiana.

More: How to get rid of mosquitoes

Flies

“Flies love food,” Crumbley notes. “Whether it’s raw, fresh off the grill, sitting on the table or in the trash, flies will be attracted to it.”

When hosting outdoors, you may encounter two types of flies: small flies and large flies. Small flies, like fruit flies, go for sugary, fermenting sources – think alcohol or fruit trays left sitting out. Larger flies, like houseflies, are after decaying matter such as food waste and pet droppings.

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“Keeping food covered, using tightly covered trash cans and placing oscillating fans around food and seating areas can reduce fly activity,” Baggio-Deibler suggests. “Flies have difficulty flying in moving air.”

Ants

Ants aren’t picky about what they’re after. Sugary drinks, greasy grill residue, dropped crumbs and overflowing trash are all fair game. “Once one ant finds food, it leaves a chemical trail that attracts others,” says Baggio-Deibler. From there, it’s a relay race. Scouts report back, and the rest of the colony follows the trail to your table.

To keep that chemical trail from forming, entomologists encourage cleaning spills right away with warm water and soap, keeping food covered until you’re ready to eat and removing trash regularly.

Wasps and bees

“Wasps and bees love high-protein and high-sugar food sources,” says Crumbley. But they’re not after the same thing at your BBQ. Yellow jackets go for whatever’s coming off the grill, while bumble bees stick to drinks, fruit and dessert.

Then there’s a third, smaller guest that hosts often overlook. “Sweat bees are going to show up because of us,” Runyon notes. “They need the moisture, salts and minerals found in our sweat.” He’s quick to point out they’re also great pollinators, so it’s worth leaving them be rather than swatting every bee that lands near you.

Before your cookout, walk your yard and check for hives, especially near sheds, eaves or thick shrubs. Catching a nest early gives you time to call a pest control service provider and have it removed before the party starts, instead of discovering it mid-event with a yard full of distressed guests.

Simple ways to keep pests away from your cookout

Here are six habits to deter pests from your gathering, according to experts:

• Cover food and drinks, even leftovers and food waste, with lids or mesh domes.
• Use a trash can instead of a loose bag. If you have to hang a bag, place it far enough from your guests, but close enough that you won’t forget to deal with it.
• Mow the lawn before your event. Tall, thick grass gives insects a place to hide that a short, dry lawn doesn’t.
• Run a fan near seating and dining areas to keep flying pests off ‌food and guests.
• Wipe up spills and grease right away, rather than waiting until after the party.
• Light citronella candles to help mask the smells that attract pests.

Quick BBQ pest-prevention checklist

The experts we interviewed recommend using this timeline to get your yard guest-ready and pest-free:

Five days before:

• Clean the grill and the surrounding area
• Scoop pet waste from the yard
• Take out the trash

Three days before:

• Mow the lawn and recheck for pet waste
• Walk the yard and address any standing water, ant hills, wasp nests or beehives
• Clear out leaf piles, woodpiles or other debris where pests could hide

On BBQ day:

• Set out citronella candles early, so they’re in the air before guests arrive
• Cover food with mesh domes or lids
• Set up fans near seating and dining areas
• Do one last check for trash, water or food left out

Worth having on hand:

• EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)-registered mosquito repellent for guests, including DEET-free options for those who prefer to avoid that ingredient
• Trash bags and cans without holes or cracks
• Cleaning wipes for fast spill cleanup

And for yards with recurring pest problems, it may be worth having a pest management professional apply a barrier treatment before guests arrive.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hosting a BBQ? Watch out for these BBQ pests

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Reporting by Sharon Wu, CFEI, Special to USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 7:43 AM.