Many people are concerned about the numbers of wasps flying around, says Kenn Tuckey, provincial apiculturist with Alberta Agriculture in Edmonton.
“To minimize the number of wasps around a yard or home, it may be advisable to construct a small wasp trap. All you need is a two-litre plastic pop bottle, clear or green, some water and a little sugar.”
Building a wasp trap:
- Cut the top of the pop bottle off around the shoulder of the bottle, just where the bottle becomes its widest from the top.
- Put about 2.5 centimetres of water into the bottom of the bottle, then add about a tablespoon of sugar to make the water sweet.
- Remove the cap part of the bottle, invert the top so the small hole is pointing downward and place it in the rest of the bottle. It shouldn’t be necessary to glue or tape the top part in place. Friction should hold it there.
- Place the trap somewhere it won’t get tipped over, probably away from major outdoor traffic patterns as wasps will be attracted to the traps.
- To hang the trap, two small holes can be made in the bottle and a string or twine used as a hanger.
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“Wasps are attracted to the sweet fluid in the trap, but once they get in the bottle, they usually have a hard time getting out and eventually drown in the fluid,” Tuckey said.
“Be sure to dump and replace the fluid periodically, based on the number of wasps in the trap. Make sure there are no live wasps in the trap when dumping.”
