Wasp traps

[misterbean]

Hi all, i am having trouble with wasps,who isnt u all say, i have looked online at various methods to make them but the problem is that they dont seem to say wether bees will be attracted to them too,any suggestions??

 

[milkermel]

most people put a slug of vinegar in with the mix and this seems to stop the interest for the bees, also would advise you dont put them too close to your hives as it will atract wasps in to the area

 

[gingerbees]

ours worked a treat:
1 spoon plum or damson jam
1 spoon vinegar
half cup water
Mix in a jam jar with small hole made in lid.
Shake and leave not too near hive.

The only other critters it caught were blue bottles. Bees didn't go near it.

 

[Rosti]

It is not the design of the trap that attracts wasps/bees but what is in it (as mentioned above). With regard the 'bait' my experience is not consistent with the above comments. The obvious comment is do not use honey in any form as a bait. I use old fruit juice. I have trialed it with and without vinegar and with and without extra sugar. None of it seems to make the slightest difference to the solutions ability to attract wasps and more to the point in 4 years I dont think I have ever found a bee in a trap.
The debate over whether a wasp trap attracts wasps from the wider area to a hive site is open. I have imperically trialed this and can see no evidence that the pressence of a trap increases attraction. I can definately say that the traps take wasps already in the location of a hive out of 'circulation'. I used to hang the traps up but last year (since my hives are on stands) I placed the traps underneath. Catch rate seems every bit as good, perhaps a little better and weather protection/rain dilution is improved. For info I use the 'coke' bottle trap design. Simple, quick and a reasonable capacity, when hung up I add a cover to keep rain out.

 

[DrNick]

If you put something with alcohol in the bees will not be interested, you don't have to use much or your best malt whiskey, some cheap vodka type drink works well as it tends to be fruit based and of course the alcohol keeps the bees out, I have three "wasp pipes" they are small cone shaped things that go in the neck of any plastic bottle, I use two litre bottle 1/3 full and I had to empty out about 1000 wasps from each last week, you can get them on ebay, very simple but effective,