Making wasp trap yourself: The step by step guide

Summertime is wasp time. You want to put an end to the annoying insects? We show you how you can make a wasp trap yourself.

Every year in late summer wasps suddenly become particularly intrusive. The black and yellow little animals can really spoil the cozy breakfast or barbecue in the garden, on the balcony or on the terrace.

They have it in for our delicious cake or our soda and can hardly be turned away. Do without the food on the balcony?

Of course, that is out of the question.

Luckily, there are some great tips that work wonderfully to get rid of the uninvited guests.

You can make your own wasp traps in just a few minutes. Everything you need for this, you probably even have at home.

But let's clear up one quick question before we get to the wasp trap tutorial. Why do these pesky insects target our food?

Why wasps are particularly intrusive in late summer

In late summer, we can hardly get rid of the wasps. The background: While the wasps are busy in the spring and summer with the rearing of the newly hatched breast, they feed mainly on insects and meat and thus also provide their larvae.

Once rearing is complete, the high-protein diet is dropped. The wasps now need sugar to survive.

In late summer, food often becomes scarce. That's when a fruitcake or a glass of lemonade on the terrace comes in handy.

Of course, we are also a little afraid of the insects and perceive them as aggressive. But even though it may not seem so to us at first, wasps are not aggressive when they buzz around heads and coffee tables. The critters are merely looking for food.

Only when they feel threatened do they become more aggressive and try to defend themselves. Blowing on wasps to drive them away is not a good idea. The carbon dioxide in their breath is considered an alarm signal for wasps and makes them even more aggressive.

Good to know: Killing wasps can often cause more trouble. Because dying wasps emit a scent that alerts and attracts other wasps.

Tip: stab healer

If you are stung by a wasp, an electronic sting healer can help. It prevents swelling and itching from occurring in the first place.

With the help of heat, it destroys the insect venom. The body can then easily break down the remaining venom - swelling does not occur in the first place. And you are also protected from the annoying itching.

Particularly exciting is the heat_it stab healer*. You simply plug the gadget into your cell phone for a few seconds, it is charged via the app and heats up. Then place the sting healer directly on the sting to treat itching and pain.

The heat_it stab healer* You can simply attach it to your key ring and always have it to hand. By the way: Made in Germany.

I was allowed to test it myself. So far, I have fortunately only caught mosquitoes and the program "short" has sufficed. For sensitive skin areas such as inner thighs, neck, face and Co you can select "sensitive body part". The sooner you act and treat the bite with heat, the better it is.

What attracts wasps to the trap?

You can lure wasps into the trap with a bait solution. You don't have to buy it, you can easily make it yourself. The insects love sweet foods, which is why sugary solutions are particularly suitable.

But besides soda, fruit juices and beer are also suitable. It is important that the liquid contains enough sugar and smells irresistible. But wasps also love overripe fruit.

Particularly good attractants are:

• Overripe grapes
• Melon slices
• Apple pieces
• Smoked salmon

All foods that provide a lot of energy are readily approached by wasps. The worker wasps are constantly on the lookout for food for their queen from August onwards.

The ultimate bait solution for wasps

Whether you decide to use a purchased or homemade trap, the content is crucial. Only the right bait solution will attract the wasps away from the table to the trap.

To prevent bees, bumblebees and other insects from landing in the trap, you should mix in a little vinegar with every attractant. Other insects do not like this smell, but wasps love it.

The ultimate bait solution:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 100 ml apple juice
• 100 ml beer
• 3 cl vinegar

Put all the ingredients in a bottle, close it and shake it firmly. Fill the bait into the homemade wasp trap.

To prevent the wasps from drowning in the trap, you should never fill the liquid too high. This way you can easily release them later. Do not use detergent in the trap, it reduces the surface tension and ensures that the wasps drown.

How to make a wasp trap yourself

Basically, you should not build a wasp trap that is deadly for the animals. Because the wasps are important farm animals and threatened with extinction.

Instead of killing wasps, distraction feeding is a more effective and peaceful option in many cases. To do this, you can offer overripe fruit such as grapes, melons and apple pieces at a sufficient distance from the terrace. This way the wasps will find food and you will have your peace.

If the distraction feeding does not show any effect, then you can make a wasp trap yourself. For this we present two methods.

For the wasp traps you definitely need an attractant that attracts the wasps. The most suitable bait solution is fruit juice, sugar water, beer or a mixture of beer, fruit juice, water and vinegar.

The vinegar ensures that the wasp trap attracts only wasps and is not attractive to bees and bumblebees.

1. make your own wasp trap from plastic bottles

The simplest and most popular method of making a wasp trap yourself is the bottle trap.

You need:

• an old plastic bottle without cover
• scissors or a sharp knife
• Adhesive tape
• Bait solution

Here's how:

1. Cut the bottle below the upper third.
2. Fill the lower part of the bottle with a bait solution.
3. Slide the cut-off top part into the filled bottom part with the closure opening facing down.
4. Attach the two parts of the bottle with the tape.
5. Place or hang the wasp trap at a sufficient distance from the dining table.

The wasps will easily find their way into the bottle through the funnel but will find it difficult to get out. As soon as you leave the terrace, you should open the trap. This way the wasps can escape and do not drown in the bait solution.

But be careful when opening the trap. The wasps are probably scared and can be very aggressive.

You can fill and use the bottle again and again.

2. wasp case

Here you can find another option for a homemade wasp trap. The insects are caught and then released a few meters away.

You need:

• 1 large plastic bottle with lid
• 2 small plastic bottles
• sharp knife
• Scissors
• Bait solution

Here's how:

1. Cut two crosses into the large bottle. The holes should be large enough to fit a bottle cap.
2. Then cut off the necks of the bottles from the small bottles.
3. Now insert the tops of the small bottles into the holes of the large bottle.
4. Fill the trap with an attractant. Sugar or overripe fruits are good.
5. Hang the trap on a tree.

The wasps climb through the bottle necks into the large bottle and find it difficult to get out again. But it is important that you release the caught wasps after the barbecue or breakfast and do not forget them in the trap.

Where do I put the wasp trap?

Only if you choose the right location, your wasp trap can develop its full effect. There are three things to keep in mind:

1. Place the trap at least 4 meters away from the dining table and not in the blazing sun.
2. Hang the trap high. This way pets and children can't get to the wasp trap to knock it over.
3. If the infestation is very large, you can set up several wasp traps. Place them 4 meters away from the dining table.

Remove the trap as soon as you retire to the house after dinner. It is not necessary that wasps die senselessly. After all, they are the food of many birds and feed, among other things, mosquito larvae.

How to drive away wasps instead of catching them

Wasps are one of the most important beneficial insects in the garden and many species are even protected. So you don't necessarily have to make a wasp trap yourself in order to get rid of the insects.

There are also some good alternatives that will give you the peace of mind you want and keep the wasps alive.

With various home remedies, you can chase the black and yellow creatures out of your green oasis in an animal-friendly way. Wasps are very sensitive to odors. Take advantage of this.

Instead of a wasp trap: apply food alternative

Offer the wasps an alternative food, far enough away from your dining table. For this, put overripe fruit, sugar water, raw meat or salmon in a bowl. The wasps will now snack in this place and let you eat undisturbed.

Only if this diversionary feeding has no effect, you should make or buy a wasp trap yourself. Traps are available in stores in various colors, sizes and types.

Bird house against wasps

You can also repel wasps by attracting the insects' natural enemies. Tits and woodpeckers, among others, feed on wasps' breasts. So if you hang a bird house and make your garden bird-friendly, you can drive away wasps in a natural way.

These odors deter wasps:

• Incense as protection from wasps: Put incense in the form of essential oil in a small fragrance lamp. Place it in the garden and light it when needed.
• With Basil Chasing away wasps: A basil plant on the terrace can help you to chase away wasps. The scent of the fresh herbs is not at all good for the insects.
• Coffee powder as a home remedy against wasps: another great way to wasps get rid of is coffee powder. The roasted aroma of coffee is not one of the wasps' favorite smells. Place a bowl of coffee powder near your dining table.
• But also on crushed Garlic cloves the insects react very sensitively.
• Fire bowls keep the insects away: a fragrant fire bowl around the dining area also helps to keep wasps away. However, the fire bowl not only helps against insects, but also further beautifies the garden.

How to clean the trap?

Making a wasp trap yourself, it's done quickly. But of course, you don't have to throw them away immediately after the first use. You can use them indefinitely.

If there are live wasps in the trap, release them back into the garden. It is important that you now dispose of the attractant in the residual waste or the sink so as not to attract any more wasps.

• Empty the remaining bait
• Wash out the trap with detergent and water
• Wash with water until no more detergent is visible
• Put them in the sun to dry

And already the homemade wasp trap is ready for a new use.

Our conclusion

If you want to make a wasp trap yourself, you should make sure to release the wasps early enough and not kill them. But it is even better to chase away the insects with home remedies or to lure them to another place with fruit.

Good luck in the fight against the wasps! :)

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