Every insect has its place in the ecosystem, even in the garden. But it is true that sometimes they nest too close to home, and if there is someone who is allergic, it can be a problem. For this reason, we are going to teach you how to make a wasp trap , so that you and your family can rest easy. This trap is environmentally friendly, and will keep the wasp population in check.
Although if what you want is to keep them away, we will also tell you what you have to do to achieve it.
Index
- 1 Look for a honeycomb or wasp nest
- 2 How to make a trap to kill wasps
- 2.1 First step – Cut the bottle
- 2.2 Second step – Place the neck on the bottle and insert the food
- 2.3 Third step – Join both parts
- 2.4 Fourth step – Empty the trap from time to time
- 3 How to keep wasps away
- 3.1 Do not leave food or drinks out
- 3.2 Keep garbage containers closed
- 3.3 Hang brown paper bags
- 3.4 Do not dress in bright colors
- 3.5 The cucumber, your ally
Look for a honeycomb or wasp nest
The first thing to do is see if there is a wasp nest , since that way we will know more or less if there are many or not. Obviously, if we have seen some in the garden, it is because their nest will not be very far, but it is possible that they have only been passing through and, therefore, it is only necessary to place one or two traps in some points.
The honeycombs, if any, will be found on the branches of tall trees, especially if they provide a lot of shade. They are sac-shaped, light brown or yellowish brown in color . It is very possible that you will see some wasps coming or going from/in it, since they are insects that are active during the day.
How to make a trap to kill wasps
To make wasp traps quickly and easily you will need the following:
- An empty plastic bottle, the size you want.
- Scissors, such as those used for sewing.
- String or duct tape.
- Food or liquids to attract wasps: sugar, vinegar, meat, beer, or soft drinks.
- Cooking oil.
Now that we have everything, it’s time to do it. How? So:
First step – Cut the bottle
With the scissors, you have to cut the bottle where it begins to narrow , that is, by the neck. Take the cap off.
Second step – Place the neck on the bottle and insert the food
For the trap to take shape, you have to introduce the food into the trap , taking care that it does not reach the top of the bottle (that is, where the stopper that we removed in the previous step was before). Then, you have to turn the neck around, and insert it into the bottle.
Third step – Join both parts
Now it will be necessary to join both parts with adhesive tape, although if you prefer you can make two holes on both sides, and pass a rope to hang the wasp trap. If you choose to do the latter, I recommend that you insert the neck of the bottle a little so that there is no free hole where the wasps could get out.
As an option, before introducing it you can spread it with cooking oil , on the part that will go inside the trap. So no matter how hard they try to get out, they won’t be able to.
Fourth step – Empty the trap from time to time
The trap must be emptied periodically, but being very careful. We have to make sure that they are dead before removing the neck, otherwise we could risk getting stung. To avoid this, you can pour boiling soapy water into the trap . Then, throw them in the garbage container, since if you left them in the garden, the chemicals that their corpses give off could alert the colony, which would not take long to appear.
How to keep wasps away
But if what you want is simply to keep the wasps away without killing them, there are many things that can be done, such as:
Don’t leave food or drinks out
This is very important: if you do not leave any type of food -including that of our dog or cat- or drink, especially if it has a high content of sugar and protein, the chances that the wasps will arrive are very low, practically nil .
Keep garbage containers closed
It is true that wasps normally behave as hunters, but if they see that there is something in the garbage container that may interest them, they will not hesitate to go looking for it .
Hang brown paper bags
It is a very easy way to fool them. Hang some crumpled brown paper bags in different places in the garden, and you will see how not one comes close. Why? Because they are very territorial insects, and they will not make a nest where another has already done so, only in this case it is not about nests, but about bags.
Don’t dress in bright colors
Bright colors, as well as brightly colored flowers, attract wasps. Taking this into account, it is also highly recommended to avoid putting plants that have showy flowers , such as gazania , dimorfoteca , or hibiscus , for example.
The cucumber, your ally
If you plan to have a picnic or enjoy a meal with your family or friends in the garden, put some cucumber slices . This way the wasps will stay far away from you, and you can spend the day without having to worry about anything.
Wasps are insects that can cause some other problem to humans, so it is advisable to at least keep them a little away , especially if we are allergic.
