Wasp Bane refills are expensive.

[Amari]

It's many months since the merits or demerits of WB have been discussed here. The kit is expensive; Complete set £28.60, refill £20 at Thorne's - about the going price on Amazon etc.
https://www.thorne.co.uk/search?s=wasp+bane
I believe the manufacturers have designed it to be difficult to dismantle and refill with one's own wasp bait, however I've managed it.

But what is the WB bait? Obviously a trade secret but I researched a few other advertised baits (all @ a few ££) and found that all but one don't disclose their 'non-chemical'/'natural'/'non toxic' ingredients. The one that did = vinegar and sucrose!

Accordingly I placed water, vinegar, sugar and a drop of washing-up liquid (to speed up drowning and reduce the wasps struggling for hours in the liquid) in my two dismantled Wasp Banes and placed them yesterday in my home apiary which has had a wasp problem++ this year. Both gave a similar yield of wasps in 24 hours.

Now, I know there is a lot of mumbo-jumbo on the Wasp Bane website, WaspBane | Wasp Traps from WaspBane but I reckon that reusing the WB with one's own bait is th eeconomical way to go, even if it means more frequent refills.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But what is the WB bait? Obviously a trade secret

if you know a pest controller, have a word, you can buy wasp bait from a supplier for about £40.00 a gallon, they have various brands of wasp trap refills on Amazon as well for about a tenner a litre.
SWMBO bought these traps during lockdown as she spent most of the summer on the patio, I actually kept an eye on one for hours when I was bored one day and never saw one wasp escape once it had gone in.

 

[Ian123]

I refill mine with coke and jam! You can dismantle with a little persuasion.

 

[Blunt Spike]

I use pop bottles filled with Aldi jam and coke. Costs pence. They're filling up nicely with wasps at the moment and I'm now starting to see European hornets getting caught in there too. They're always slightly behind the wasps with regards to being attracted to the traps.

 

[Swarm]

I don't set traps, it's always seemed odd to attract what you don't want.

 

[Blunt Spike]

I don't set traps, it's always seemed odd to attract what you don't want.

One of my apiaries is on the edge of a private wood. There are loads of wasps and hornets in there. I would rather give them something that appears easier than raiding a hive.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not seen many wasps at all. Stan mowed the fields this year. Normally he unearths a few wasp nests from the mole tunnels. Nothing at all. No frogs hopping about either.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm now starting to see European hornets getting caught in there too.

shame! - let them go!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm now starting to see European hornets getting caught in there too.

That’s awful. That happened to me one year but only once. I reduced the cone size to stop them getting in. I haven’t used a wasp trap since. I hope you’re letting them go

 

[Monbees]

That’s awful. That happened to me one year but only once. I reduced the cone size to stop them getting in. I haven’t used a wasp trap since. I hope you’re letting them go

I have caught a couple of hornets in my waspbanes, but I'm afraid I couldn't see any way of releasing them. I would have loved to.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have caught a couple of hornets in my waspbanes, but I'm afraid I couldn't see any way of releasing them. I would have loved to.

Reduce the size of the cones so that they can’t get in.
When I caught one I demolished the trap
Put these in

 

[Ian123]

I don't set traps, it's always seemed odd to attract what you don't want.

There attracted anyway….wasps early in the season work the front of the hives for the dead and dying, every wasp in the area is aware of them!

 

[Blunt Spike]

That’s awful. That happened to me one year but only once. I reduced the cone size to stop them getting in. I haven’t used a wasp trap since. I hope you’re letting them go

Im here to learn, I will reduce the cone size tomorrow. What is the best way to manage them? I can get 20 or more at a time around the hives.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Im here to learn, I will reduce the cone size tomorrow. What is the best way to manage them? I can get 20 or more at a time around the hives.

Good grief. No wonder you have that many wasps.
Take the traps away.
Strong colony ( even if it means uniting colonies) reduced entrance and one of these.
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/wasp-tunnel-mark-two.45362/

 

[Amari]

I don't set traps, it's always seemed odd to attract what you don't want.

You don't believe in mouse traps, fly paper, warfarin-baited rat poison, the role of femme fatale in warfare?

 

[JamezF]

When they're genuinely being a nuisance I do sometimes set up wasp traps, but I put them nowhere near my beehives.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

When they're genuinely being a nuisance I do sometimes set up wasp traps, but I put them nowhere near my beehives.

James

Spot on.

 

[Blunt Spike]

Good grief. No wonder you have that many wasps.
Take the traps away.
Strong colony ( even if it means uniting colonies) reduced entrance and one of these.
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/wasp-tunnel-mark-two.45362/

Sorry I wasn't clear. In Sept I can get 20+ hornets around the hives. I only a couple of wasp traps out and they're about 30 feet away.

 

[Swarm]

No, I've never set out wasp traps. I have an apiary at an orchard, the hornets do a nice job on the wasps

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry I wasn't clear. In Sept I can get 20+ hornets around the hives. I only a couple of wasp traps out and they're about 30 feet away.

Great, then give the tunnel a try