Wasp Traps

[pumpcity]

In some anchorages, wasps are a problem. They are looking for food, but they bite and sting humans. Any suggestions on effective wasp traps to reduce the possibility of a wasp sting?

[DeepFrz]

Leave a mouthful of beer in a beer bottle. Leave beer bottles around your deck every few feet.

Watch out a wasp doesn't land on the bottle you are emptying down to the last mouthful.

Get everyone in the anchorage to do the same...its called a party. Of course wasps aren't active at night so you will have to start early in the day.
Being a green sort of thing it may take several days to cut the wasp population down to bearable...

[Minggat]

I won't pretend to be scientific about this, but I can't imagine a trap with an attractive bait being a good idea. Like trying to rid the world of flies. There's more where they came from. And while your waiting for the ones that make their way into your boat to find the bait/trap, you are living in fear of being stung.

Here's what I do. I got one (and then a couple more) of those zapper electronic fly swatters. In the US, you can get them at Harbor Freight. Looks like a plasitc racketball racket, takes batteries.

The wasp die or are disabled by them more so than files are. Much easier to hit in flight. In fact, that's the only way I try. But you have to find the critter and finish them off or I'm thinking they'll get you while they still have life left in them. (think active stinger vs bare foot).

When you see them going to one spot in your cabin more than once, they are up to something. Take'em out.

I was seriously plagued by them, but they never won. When I went to remove my furled headsail for storage, mud (wasp nest) fell out, and a couple of bodies.

Maybe you can tell. It became a bit of a game for me.

[David M]

Surefire® Deluxe Yellow Jacket And Wasp Trap (00280) - Insect Bait & Traps - Ace Hardware

[Mi2ndWind]

I've had similar problems with the little buggers, and yep the swatter works, but another tactic is to get mason jars and pop 1" holes in the lids, paint the jars red, and pour in sugar water or mountain dew, or even hummingbird nectar. Place them (secured in some fashion) on top of close by pilings or some area near, but not on the boat or the areas you frequent. They are attracted to the color red and the smell of the meat, land on the jar, crawl in the hole after food, and can't fly back out. On sunny days, they they won't last long in the jars due to the heat, but I used to empty mine at nite when they don't fly. Most often they were all dead in the jars by then anyway. This strategy used to work quite well for me, hope it works for you as well!

[vintageray]

My 90# Pit Bull, Shadow eats them like candy. If he sees a wasp, it's soon a dead wasp. I think he just hates them because when he eats them they sting him. I love him to death, but sometimes he's not the smartest dog in the world.

[vintageray]

Water with dish soap from a spray bottle kills em dead fast.

[MarkJ]

I <Twack> them.

I let them land on Nicolle and then taking a kitchen tea-towel holding one corner and pulling the other corner back to my ear like a bow and arrow then let fly!

I have a great accuracey on March Flies (they really do move slowly) and most varities of sea going wasp.

Tha Galapagos was bad for wasps (and sand flies on the beach) and March Flies in Australia.

As for DeepFrz saying: "Leave a mouthful of beer in a beer bottle." Well, that ain't gunna happen!!!!!!

Mark

[pumpcity]

All you guys are a hoot!
Who knew that the word "Wasp" would get everybody stirred up?
Everyone is right. You can't leave them to bite you, swatting at them all day leaves no room for drinking during the day, and traps can draw more. What's a boat yahoo to do?

[DeepFrz]

As for DeepFrz saying: "Leave a mouthful of beer in a beer bottle." Well, that ain't gunna happen!!!!!!

Was a lot more fun, I bet, than painting jars and punching holes and living with big dumb dogs. IMHO.

My cat also kills them but she swats them down and then holds them with her paw while putting the crunch of death on them.

[stillbuilding]

Well I enjoyed the above creative solutions!.
As implied, a glass jar with a 5/16" hole punched in will allow them in and prevent exit.
Best bait is cat, dog food or rotten-sweet fruit.
Hang a jar or two around the boat and reduce the wasp population dramatically.
Australia used not to have wasps of any calibre until 80s when it is speculated that they arrived in timber shipments.

[zeehag]

what the locals here do is inflate a brown paper bag and tie it to a location high in the room or cockpit or on a ratling. this prevents more wasps from coming to make a home in your stuff... huge red wasps here ar a big issue--
when i awoke to find a wasp nest on a ratling i used lots of borax and a jet setting on my hose nozzle and kept at it for a week until i got the queen. it was scary and it was a pita, bit it worked. direct the water stream onto each wasp as it comes for ye..and they will...poison doesnt work. hard stream of borax water from hose worked. whew. yes i stuffed hose with it then sprayed. and you will want to buy another hose for use after, as the borax makes metal disappear.....
good luck

[barnakiel]

One should not kill wasps. There are better methods.

And it is not just that ending a life is not ethical.

Just think of it: setting up as soap or sweet lure trap on your boat, you are attracting the wasps ... exactly the opposite of what you want to achieve.

Wasps are a part of the diversity. If they are out there, there must be a reason. Most wasp traps attract wasps. Use methods that deter them instead.

Bee Free Wasp Deterrent 2-Pack | Eartheasy.com

Cheers,
b.

[FSMike]

In my experience the best trap (almost) is a main sail cover. The only defect is they can still leave.

[autumnbreeze27]

Originally Posted by vintageray

My 90# Pit Bull, Shadow eats them like candy. If he sees a wasp, it's soon a dead wasp. I think he just hates them because when he eats them they sting him. I love him to death, but sometimes he's not the smartest dog in the world.

I know this was posted 6 years ago, but our pit bull loves to eat bees... they do sting her as well, but she chases them down like they're little flying pieces of bacon!