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.
Lindsay Storm says
August 7, 2012 at 5:29 pmStevie,
This is a great idea! We are in the middle of a huge draught, but for some reason the wasps around our house and garden are terrible. I love that this looks really pretty, but is functional at the same time. Hopefully this will keep me from getting dive-bombed every time I walk in the house!! Thanks!!
Lindsay
Stevie says
August 9, 2012 at 11:50 amI know, they are such a pain! They have probably nested nearby as I don’t think they travel too far. heck for the nest and remove it if they are really bad. And have fun with the trap! I’d love to see photos if you do make some.
Paula says
August 9, 2012 at 3:10 pmThis is a wonderful idea. Your post is so awesome. I would love it if you could share this wonderful post at our WIW linky party. I hope you can join us.
Paula
ivyandelephants.blogspot.com
James says
August 14, 2012 at 2:42 amWhat a great idea, it makes you wander how no one has thought of it before. After my last BBQ experience I’m definitely going to make some of these later on, wasps are an absolute nightmare around our garden.
Carol says
June 25, 2014 at 3:44 pmYou mentioned the flying pests are looking for protein early in the season, sweets later. What do you use for the protein attractant?
Stephanie says
June 25, 2014 at 5:20 pmHi Carol,
Fish or meat. We usually just put a little of what we are BBQing out somewhere away from the dinner table and they leave us alone. It doesn’t trap them though. You would need to do that when they are out looking for sweets.