Banishing Life’s Little Annoyances

Wasps at a Picnic 

Yellow jackets and some other types of wasps are attracted to sweet scents, so your perfume or the watermelon drippings on your blanket are liable to prompt an invasion. Resist the urge to swat them away. Instead, use lids, plastic wrap, and napkins to cover all the food and drinks, even those you’re using, recommends Lynn Braband, a yellow-jacket trapping expert with New York’s Integrated Pest Management Program. Robbed of their food source, the insects should buzz off. At your next picnic, stick with a dark blanket and dishware. “Wasps are attracted to reds, yellows, and whites,” says Braband. So leave that checkered tablecloth at home.

A Third Wheel

Be blunt, says Pepper Schwartz, a sociology professor at the University of Washington, in Seattle. Say, “We’d love to spend more time with you, but our plans aren’t going to work with three tonight.” If the person doesn’t catch on? Say, “We promised each other one-on-one time.” That should guarantee a twosome.