wasp trap

[your_comforting_company]

The yellow jackets were frantic with the last cold snap. Remembering the sting incident, I searched the web for traps. I found all sorts of contraptions and recipes, and I tried a couple, but this is what worked for me.
Yellow jackets are known to like meat, and sweet stuff, like sugar water with a little vinegar, and I tried all sorts of mixes.
The jar was the right track. Glass, clean on the inside. Poke a couple holes in the lid about 5/16".

So I noticed, of all the things outside, they were swarming a glass of tea, and the hummingbird feeder. They couldn't reach in the little openings, tho.. I poured out my previous concoction of sweet syrupy things, and put in a little hummingbird juice. I used a LONG stick to pour out the tea, and hung up the jar trap in place of the feeder.

In no time, they were crawling in and couldn't get back out. This picture is after I poured out about 40 and put more juice in a few days later. I moved the trap into the garage where I was working on a friends brakes and a few were flying around. The two crawling on the glass inside were the ones pestering me.
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg184/your_comforting_company/miscellaneous%20pics/DSCN5420.jpg:beta1:

After trying wasp spray, ants in the nest, gasoline, dynamite (kidding!).. of all things that didn't work, this did. None of my syrupy concoctions worked either. Thought it might be a useful home helper.

[crashdive123]

When I got home last Friday and took my hiking boots off I had 11 stuck to my socks. I would not recommend that method though.

[your_comforting_company]

Have you ever tried any of these passive methods, crash? I was wondering if you might have a special recipe.

[Winnie]

I think Crash's recipe is called Chernobyl-o-powder. I remember what it did to that giant nest he dealt with by the Railroad a while back.

[crashdive123]

Have you ever tried any of these passive methods, crash? I was wondering if you might have a special recipe.

2 liter soda bottle with some apple cider vinegar (dilluted) and fruit. Poke small hole in bottle near curve at top, leave cap on. I haven't tried this yet, but when Mrs. Crash and I were eating a picnic lunch on our way to the Jamboree, we were bothered by yellow jackets. Seems they really like the ham that was in our salads.



I think Crash's recipe is called Chernobyl-o-powder. I remember what it did to that giant nest he dealt with by the Railroad a while back.

Only when I can 1-find the nest and 2-remember, I'm a paid mercenary.

Of course, my episode last week has me thinking that they put a hit out on me.:innocent:

[Winnie]

My mum always had a slice of bread with a thick layer of jam on it, lurking in the kitchen in the autumn when the wasps are most active. She took a perverse pleasure in dropping the bread with it's victims in water and watching it sink. With a mum like that, it's no surprise I turned out how I did!

[rwc1969]

The first pic is the way my granny did it, basically. she'd use a pop bottle with a little pop left in it, or sugar water.

[your_comforting_company]

I tried ham in the jar a while back and they weren't interested. Even tried jam in the jar and it didn't work. something about either the time of year, or the juice itself.

[crashdive123]

The watered down vinegar and fruit has always worked for me. The ham was just a thought because they were so darned annoying that day.

[Rick]

YCC - I just thought I'd let you know you don't have to have colored water to attract hummingbirds. I have six feeders out for Ruby Throats and just fill them with sugar water. They'll find it in no time.

[crashdive123]

Yeah - we don't used the colored water either for humming birds.

[ravenscar]

not to be funny or anything, but 12g flares works for removing nests XD

[crashdive123]

not to be funny or anything, but 12g flares works for removing nests XD

Not when your nest is six feet across.

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/crashdive123/Bugs/YellowJackets009A.jpg

[ravenscar]

well.... i wonder what a few exploding targets would do........
EDIT: holy nuns makeral!!!!

[your_comforting_company]

That reminds me.. I never did post the pics of the ruby throats.. Gotta find those pics and get them up! I'm getting forgetful in my old age, LOL.

I figured the color didn't make much difference, since they were going after the tea. A week earlier they weren't attracted to any bait I put in the jar. They were, at one point, going to the rotten pears under our pear tree, and even tried that as bait.. Then one day, they were all about foraging sweet stuff.. to their own demise. I think the vinegar content has something to do with how attracted they are. Don't know if the mixture containing vinegar was too strong, or what, but this juice was the perfect blend.

[2crows]

YCC - I just thought I'd let you know you don't have to have colored water to attract hummingbirds. I have six feeders out for Ruby Throats and just fill them with sugar water. They'll find it in no time.

Six feeders?!! I only have 3 (1qt) feeders out and I have to fill them twice a day. The sugar bill rivals my mortgage...g. Like you, I just use plain sugar water and I have to be really careful when I reach for the feeder. The wasps just love it.