Ah, summer! The perfect time of year to relax outside with friends and family by packing a picnic. But what’s that buzzing around the food? Hey, these guys weren’t invited! If wasps and yellow jackets are driving you bananas while trying to enjoy a meal outdoors then you will love this 15-minute DIY project using a recycled bottle. That wasp won’t know what hit it.
Materials:
- Plastic bottle with raised dimple in bottom
- Box cutter or drill
- Twine or wire
- Beads and yarn to decorate (optional)
Make it!
1. Choose a bottle for this project that has a bottom with a raised center. The goal is to create a trough in the bottle around the hole to hold the liquid. The center must be raised enough to allow the wasp to fly in, then get trapped and drown in the liquid-filled trough around the hole.
2. Using the box cutter or drill, make a hole about 3/4″ in diameter in the bottom of the bottle, where it is raised up.
3. Decorate the bottle with twine, yarn, beads, and whatever else you have lying around. Wind twine or wire around the neck of the bottle and tie in a knot above to hang the bottle from a tree.
4. Fill the trough inside the bottle with a bit of jam dissolved in water. Late in the season, wasps are looking for a sweet treat (while earlier in the season they want proteins).
You’re done! Bye bye wasps.
Carol says
June 26, 2014 at 11:43 amThanks! Am making a “sweet” trap today!
Gail says
August 7, 2016 at 9:18 pmCan’t wait to try at our new home as I notice it had lots of these danger -danger to me .I am out of my Epi pens and have been stung 3 times this year . This is easier than the last bottle thing I did and makes more sense … Thanks for someone who highly allergic
Stephanie Rose says
August 11, 2016 at 8:59 ambe safe, Gail!