Just what is Cinco de Mayo? In the United States, it’s a reason for a party. And we all love to have a justification to celebrate.

It’s a little more complicated than that, though. This from Wikipedia:

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “fifth of May”) is a celebration held on May 5. It is observed in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla where the holiday is called El Día de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). It originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day—the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16th.

You don’t have to be Latino to enjoy the day. Many folks in Alabama have small parties on their deck where Margaritas and various South of the Border finger foods are served.

No one however sent out an invitation to the pests in your life. So, how do you handle an invasion of crawling, buzzing critters when people begin to arrive?

Not Just the Fifth of May, But Any Outdoor Get-together

Probably the biggest menace are mosquitoes. Since some carry the West Nile Virus, they truly need to be checked at the door of your outside paradise. You can use bug spray, but who wants to smell that when the Jalapeno eating contest begins?

Vulcan Termite and Pest Control has some suggestions to keep the atmosphere as natural as possible:

• On the invite, suggest that all attendees wear clothing that’s not dark but light colored. Mosquitoes are beckoned toward those folks wearing murky duds.
• For light, go with citronella candles.
• There are a bunch of plants that chase-off the bugs. Ground things like lavender, catnip and rosemary in your gardens. Invite your guests to pick a few lavender leaves and rub them on their neck, legs and arms. Smells nice, repels insects.
• Purchase a plant-based spray that you can spritz around the yard. We like this stuff called Repel Lemon Eucalyptus.

Other Buggers

Insects enjoy having a place to hide. Mow the lawn. Properly dispose of any dead branch build-up. In other words, clean-up your act before the party gets underway.

More Solutions

Want to move just this side of overkill? Vulcan Termite and Pest Control officially throws in these tips that should truly chase away pesky invaders:

• Any lanterns or lights that are close to people will attract bugs. Replace the bulbs with those funky yellow bug lights. Between that and the citronella candles, the luminescence is warm and friendly.
• For those who are lucky to have a gentle breeze on a moon-glistened night, you lucked out. No wind. Import some with a few carefully positioned fans. Tiny, flying things will literally get blown away from food and people with some artificial wind.
• The trash cans on the scene should be stationed away from the partiers. Make sure the garbage containers have lids.
• If you do this type of outdoor entertaining frequently, invest in a couple of electronic bug zappers.

Now go enjoy your Cinco de Mayo festivities. Oh, and for the Jalapeno eating contest, keep some chilled milk on hand. Beer and water will only make the participants mouths even hotter.

Original  Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/garden-pest-control/keeping-bugs-from-invading-your-party