Wasp & Hornet Traps
Description
This is a set of wasp trap attachments for common (discarded) domestic food packaging containers. They will fit plastic milk, mineral water, carbonated-drink and jerry can containers (see specs below). Re-cycle the traps and containers after use. Print the trap parts in PETG to ensure they are suitable for external use (UV and water exposure). Print parts in GREEN or WHITE; wasps are well tuned to green (many prey insects are green). Do not print in yellow, red or blue since this increases the chances of unintentional bee capture. Do not print in black, brown or dark colours (reduces effectiveness - dark colours are perceived as a predator threat and will drive wasps away). To create a wasp-trap select the funnel required for your container (threads vary). If you want to hang it up then also print a hangar (which fits all 3 funnels). The One-Piece Wasp trap only fits coke thread bottles and is only intended for small 300 to 500ml bottles. It has a built-in eyelet allowing it to be stood or hung (no hangar print required). The standard (funnel) trap has a geometry that will facilitate the capture of both wasps (Common wasp, German wasp and north American Yellow Jacket). The full funnel traps will also catch Hornets (European & Asian). The one-piece trap (intended for small fizzy drink bottles) has outer apertures that will struggle to capture hornets. Both trap styles have a built-in hood to avoid rain dilution and to concentrate volatile attractants around / within the trap entrance. Printing: Traps print upside down. The one-piece has some minor supports (that remove easily enough). The funnel hangar prints right way up without supports. Container specifications: MILK fits: 38mm neck Bericap (Milk jug containers - normally 0.568(1pt), 2.000, 2.273(4pt) 3.410(6pt) ltr capacity) COKE fits: 28mm neck mineral water and carbonated drink bottles with PCO1810 threads [Int 21.74mm; single start 720deg thread] JERRY fits: 38mm neck standard Jerry Can (typically 1.0, 2.5 & 5.0Ltr capacity) [Int 31.5mm, Thread OD -37.3] Wasp Trap Bait: Do not use honey as bait, you will attract and kill honey bees. I use cheap fruit jam. Melt the jam in a pan with the same amount of water. Add the smallest drop of washing-up liquid (breaks surface tension) and a drop of spirit vinegar (mildly acidifies and better replicates fallen fruit). You need enough liquid to drown the wasps (although once in the trap they are very unlikely to escape). As a quick attractant use cheap UHT apple juice plus a drop of washing-up liquid (do not use UHT orange juice - it is too acidic). Ecological notes: Most wasps do not trouble humans or honey bees. I am a beekeeper; I do not kill wasps mindlessly / without reason. Wasps (including common, German and yellow jackets) are a valuable ecological group. Early in the season they capture a high volume of crop pest insects e.g. aphids (for protein to raise young) and help provide natural balance. Adult wasps then require carbohydrate energy sources. Unlike honey bees, a wasp colony does not ‘over-winter’, all adult wasps die; except for the queens that hibernate and emerge in spring. As adult wasp numbers peak, they will predate bee colonies for honey and nectar; killing the colony. Hornets will predate honey bee colonies for both protein (bee pupa) and carbohydrate (nectar and honey); again, killing the colony. Often wasps will become a domestic problem later in the season as numbers peak and they seek any carbohydrate source (they often also mistake alcoholic drinks for fermenting fallen fruit). If you have a local problem, of course, set traps; but please do not kill wasps without good cause, especially early in the season. If you are trapping wasps late in the season then these will likely be redundant adult worker wasps that would have died anyway (without making any further colony contribution).
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