Homemade Wasp Traps: How to Make your Own Wasp Trap

Actually, wasps are beneficial for human beings, as they feed on those pests which damage the crops. Normally, wasps avoid places of human activity and only on being disturbed, do they attack the intruder. They are not a threat, unless their nest is near your home or in areas of heavy traffic. You can control wasps by using some chemicals, but this can cause harm to the surrounding environment. One of the easiest and natural ways of eliminating these insects is by using traps. There are ready-made traps available in the market, but you can make homemade wasp traps with materials that are readily available. Let us go through the procedure of making plastic homemade wasp traps and their right usage.

Plastic Bottle Trap
This is one of the widely used homemade wasp traps, which ensures good results. All you need is a two liter plastic bottle, string, knife and a stapler. Cut off the lid of the bottle along the line, where the bottle starts narrowing to form the opening. This part resembles a funnel with the narrow hole at one end and the wider area at the other end. The other bigger piece consists of the base of the bottle and looks like a jar with a wide opening. Attach some bait to the narrow end of the funnel-shaped part. You can either tie something or coat the inner side of the opening with substances like jam. The bait should be something that can attract these insects. We shall discuss more about the bait later.

The next step is the attachment of both pieces of the bottle, so as to form the trap. Keep the smaller funnel-like piece upside down, with the smaller opening pointing downwards. Now, push this part through the wide opening of the jar-like piece. The edges of both parts should be in good contact with each other. If not, adjust it and seal the edges with the help of a stapler or tape. Your homemade wasp trap is almost ready. It will look like a jar with a wide opening, which narrows inwards. Add some water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid to the jar-like part. Now, you can punch one hole each on either side of the bottle and use a thread to hang it at some suitable place near the nest of these insects. It should not be placed in areas with heavy traffic or near playgrounds. In short, the place should have less human activity.

Working of the Plastic Trap
Wasps, being attracted by the bait which is kept inside the trap, will fly into it. Once inside the trap, they cannot find the way out and in the course of searching for an opening, they will get tired and eventually, will fall into the water. The dishwashing liquid in the water covers the body of the wasps. Since, they breathe through their body, the soap coating leads to their death. You have to replace the bait every two to three days for better results. Always remember to remove the bodies of dead wasps, as they can form a platform for the wasps, who enter the trap subsequently and this platform can help them in avoiding getting drowned.

Baits for Wasps
You should choose a bait which can attract wasps to the trap. Normally, these insects search for food items that are sources of protein and sugar. Either you can use sugary substances like fruit juices, sweet soda, jam, etc., or protein rich substances like meat, pet food, tuna, etc. You can also make a mixture of both. You can either suspend the bait inside the bottle with the help of a string or tie it to the opening. Make sure that the bait is well inside the bottle to ensure the entry of wasps inside the bottle. You can even replace the solution of water and dish washing liquid with mashed grapes, sugar and lemon juice, sugar and water, soda, vodka and orange, wine, maple syrup and water, etc. Meat is considered to be one of the best baits, followed by mashed grapes. You can make a bait by mixing one teaspoon of sugar with an equal measure of liquid detergent and water. This will ensure the death of wasps as they ingest the detergent.

Tips for Better Results
The best time for setting traps is early spring, as they lay eggs and make nests, during this period. They will be in constant search of protein rich foods, which can make them get attracted to the trap easily. Maybe you can catch their queen, whose death may force others to relocate. You can apply some Vaseline or oil on the sides of the passage (to the trap), so that the wasps can easily slip into the trap. As you empty the trap, make sure that there is no living wasp, which may find its way back to the nest and inform other wasps. They can become more aggressive and tend to attack in groups. Don't crush the bodies of dead wasps or kill live wasps by crushing. A chemical is released from the dead bodies which can give a warning signal to other wasps. It is better to bury the dead bodies.

This trap cannot kill the entire wasp colony, but it can reduce their population in a gradual manner and force them to relocate. Nevertheless, this is a simple and inexpensive method to deter the wasps from making nests in your place. The added advantage of homemade wasp traps is that it is also environment friendly.