FAQ on Trapping Yellow Jackets and Wasps
Are you having trouble catching yellow jackets in your trap?
Buying expensive attractants for your yellow jacket trap that just isn't working? We have some very inexpensive ideas for you to try. Some of these have been recommended to us by people that we have met at the shows in Spokane WA., and some from the internet.
1. First try the location. If that doesn't do the trick, experiment with the bait in your trap.
2. Try different baits. Yellow jackets diet can vary throughout the season. They balance their diet with proteins such as meat. In the late summer months a yellow jacket's diet preference changes to sweets, that is why they love our picnics and BBQ's so much! Some bait ideas are:
Yellow Jackets are actually a beneficial insect. They are useful around gardens because they prey on other pesky insects. However, they become pests themselves, especially later in the summer. In fact, death from insect stings is not uncommon. Hanging a yellow jacket trap is one way to keep them under control without having to use toxic chemicals.
1. First try the location. If that doesn't do the trick, experiment with the bait in your trap.
2. Try different baits. Yellow jackets diet can vary throughout the season. They balance their diet with proteins such as meat. In the late summer months a yellow jacket's diet preference changes to sweets, that is why they love our picnics and BBQ's so much! Some bait ideas are:
- Bacon grease
- Chicken grease
- Tuna oil
- Apple juice
- Fruit juice
- Beer
- Smashed Grapes
- Carbonated pop
Yellow Jackets are actually a beneficial insect. They are useful around gardens because they prey on other pesky insects. However, they become pests themselves, especially later in the summer. In fact, death from insect stings is not uncommon. Hanging a yellow jacket trap is one way to keep them under control without having to use toxic chemicals.
Tips for discouraging wasps from nesting in your birdhouse
Wasps building nests in your bird houses? This can be a common problem. This can be minimized by lining the inside of the roof with aluminum foil. Also try rubbing the inside of the roof with a bar of soap. Using tin foil or bar soap on the roof discourages wasps from nesting in a traditional bird house. Any ordinary bar of soap will do. Hope this helps!