To protect your living and outdoor areas from annoying wasps during the summer, you can build a wasp trap yourself. With just a few materials and simple steps, a DIY project can be easily realized and without any prior knowledge. You may also be able to use these to rid an already infested area where you need to work of wasps. Although these insects can be beneficial to the plants in the garden, their stings often pose a danger to allergy sufferers. It therefore makes sense to remove a wasp nest in the mailbox or grill in good time. Here are some methods that can help you with insect control.
Take timely action and build a DIY wasp trap
Nothing can ruin a summer barbecue or a summer day by the pool like the threat of a wasp sting. Mind you, wasps aren't all bad - the adults are nectar-feeding pollinators. They kill other insects that are harmful to crops to feed their larvae. A nearby wasp nest can still be dangerous, especially for those whoallergic to insect bitesare. If you notice an infestation near your own home, you have a few options: call a pest control company, kill them yourself with wasp sprays, or trap them. While there are store-bought wasp traps, you can save yourself some money with a DIY trap. Additionally, get rid of your busy problem by making this practical solution using items you most likely already have in your home.
OneRemove wasp nestsand keep them away from your home and immediate garden, you can set traps in early spring when the queens are looking for nesting sites. Although you can purchase ready-made wasp repellents and traps at the store, it is easy and cost-effective to make your own. Protect yourself, your family members and your guests from bites in the summer season by making your own traps from things like recyclable kitchen materials. Read on for simple steps to create an effective wasp trap using basic supplies and home remedies you may already have.
Reuse plastic bottles and food scraps as attractants against wasps
Making wasp traps can be as easy as reusing and modifying empty bottles or milk cartons. Just add leftover fruit or beer. You can also add leftover meat into the trap along with a few drops of dishwashing liquid. The soap reduces the surface tension of the liquid, causing the wasps to sink and drown instead of flying off to buzz another day.
In addition, such simple traps can even be created on site, such as at a campsite. They pose no risk to pollinators such as honey bees, bumblebees or orchard bees. These insects are usually only interested in pollen and flowers. Given the attention such a trap will receive from wasps, you may want to place it in a corner of the garden rather than right next to your grill. Because their role in the environment is equally important, you should only kill wasps when absolutely necessary.
Follow simple step-by-step instructions and build a wasp trap
As mentioned earlier, recycling plastic bottles is the most popular method of making a DIY wasp trap. An empty bottle can be easily modified to trap unsuspecting wasps. You can use any size bottle, but a 2 liter size gives you more space to catch more wasps. When you are finished with your trap, you can simply place it in your trash can. The following materials and attractants are perfect for this:
- (2-liter) empty plastic bottle
- Carpet knife
- Scissors
- ½ cup honey
- 3 cups of water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- waterproof marker pen
- Spoon
Instructions
- About 1/3 of the way from the top of the bottle, draw a horizontal line with the marker. This will be the place where you will cut.
- Then use the knife to puncture the plastic along the line you made with the marker.
- First, take the scissors to finish cutting the bottle until the top part falls free.
- Add the honey, water and sugar to the bottom of the bottle.
- Use the spoon to lightly mix the lure. You can leave the honey in a concentrated blob.
- Then unscrew the bottle cap and discard it.
- Then turn the bottle cap over so that the spout is facing down.
- Place the top part of the bottle, still facing down, into the bottom of the bottle.
- You can then position the neck of the bottle over the mixture of honey, sugar and water. However, you should leave a few centimeters of space between the bottle spout and the mixture.
- Set your trap near the infested area and move away from that area.
- The wasps should find the lure within a few minutes.
- When your trap is full, you can throw it away and make a new one, or empty the dead wasps into the trash and refill the bottle.
More ideas for wasp traps and attractants
You can use other types of bottles or glass containers when building a wasp trap. If you are using a product that has a wide opening large enough for a wasp to crawl through, you can use the same instructions above. One of the easiest wasp traps you can make requires just a few simple items. For example, you can build a wasp trap using a bucket and placing it about 5 meters from the area where you plan to work, play or sit.
You can use almost any type of sticky sweet food or drink as bait in your wasp trap. The sweet scent attracts wasps, who will orient themselves to the aroma just as bees are attracted to flowers. Leftover cola, jellies, cookies dissolved in water, a banana in water or other fruits and fruit juices also have enough sugar to attract the insects. A few tips can help you assess how to deal with catching wasps. You can also learn to avoid trapping other pollinators.
Tips on optimal wasp traps and protection
Above all, make sure that no honey bees are attracted to your wasp trap, so add a few drops of vinegar to the mix. Prevent wasps from escaping by rubbing a small amount of petroleum jelly around the outer and inner edges of the bottle spout. Empty the dead wasps regularly. Allowing the dead wasps to pile up will keep newcomers from drowning.
If you don't like the idea of emptying the trap, you can always make a new one. It is not absolutely necessary to hang your trap to attract wasps. Always wear protective gloves and clothing when working around stinging insects, especially when emptying wasp traps. If you are allergic to wasps, it is best to have someone else set and remove the traps.
