Attractants (Baits)
This section will primarily focus on the use of non toxic European Wasp DIY (Do It Yourself) recipes.
The recipes are designed to attract wasps but not be attractive to other key pollinators such as bees through the addition of either Apple Cider Vinegar, Vanilla Essence (35% achohol) or Yeast.
Yeast ferments the sugar in the mix which than makes it un-attractive to most pollinators such as bees.
Vanilla Essence (35% achohol) makes it un-attractive to most pollinators such as bees.
Apple Cider Vinegar makes it un-attractive to most pollinators such as bees.
One area to be careful of is attracting too many native wasps as they are a key part of our environment ….unlike European Wasps which take over due to no natural preditor’s or snow during winter.
Time Of Year - Sugar Based Attractant
Sugar based traps are great in springtime and early summer and are dedicated to catching queen European wasps and worker wasps later in the season. The queens coming out of hibernation are looking for carbohydrates to build up energy for creating/laying a hive. Catching queens is the best and most environmentally sound method of reducing European wasps. Every queen caught means 5,000 less wasps produced in the area and up to 1,500 less queen wasps produced at the end of the season (from the same hive)!!!
Because hibernation is dependent on daily temperatures it’s difficult to advise on best time however in:
North East Victoria mid-September and October seem to be the best.
Cooler areas will be a week or two later
Warmer areas eg: Melbourne, Bendigo Mildura will be up to three weeks earlier.
Temperatures appear to need to be above 15 C with a few days at 20C or more. Timing is not enormously critical as queen wasps forage for a considerable period after establishing a nest site but it is best to have traps out as early as possible.
NOTE: For the sugar in the recipes below, most people use white sugar however brown sugar can also be used. It’s a case of trialling for the most successful, in some areas feedback indicates brown sugar is producing great results.
Feedback
The 1st “Water, Sugar, Yeast mix has been used locally by some wineries with great success.
It’s also the number 1 favorite mix on the Facebook site “European Wasp Control Project” which is quite an active group running since 2016.
A few seasons ago (2022), parts of the Yarra Valley had large numbers of wasps. Talking to a local winery, they were looking for a non-toxic solution as the wasps were damaging the grapes and a hazard for the pickers, wine makers and restaurant guests.
They used the “type 1” trap in 2022 during the spring and caught 149 queen wasps between their 2 properties in Steels Creek and Dixons Creek with traps set out every ~100 metres. During peak summer season, one of their grapevine plots in 2022 had 10 traps set out (1 every ~100m) which were emptied every couple of days as they were totally full of wasps. The air was thick with them, so no surprise the traps filled quickly.
As a comparison, removing 149 queens is equivalent to removing 745,000 worker wasps across 149 potential hives during peak season and a potential 40,000 new queens at the end of the season. Using the same method every year since, only ~5 queens have been caught every season as the first season was such a success. Very few wasps are now seen primarily due to the ongoing trapping commitment every year.
If all land owners (rural, residential, city) used this approach for one year and follow up every year we would have the wasps under control.
Recipe - Sugar based - Type 1
Water, Sugar, Yeast
Method
This is a 1:4 ratio mix with 1 litre of water and 250g of sugar make approximately 1.3 litres of mixture and is enough to fill 4 traps.
Dissolve all the sugar in 500 ml Hot water.
Add 500ml cold water
Add 2 tsp Baker’s yeast (available from every supermarket). Some people like to add a tablespoon or two of honey
Ingredients
- 250g sugar
- 500ml hot water
- 500ml cold water
- 2 teaspoon baker’s yeast
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of dish washing liquid
4. Allow 2-4 days for the mix to ferment.
Time to ferment depends on ambient air temperature. Allow to stand indoors with the best temp is 20C and bubbles will appear on the side of the container, foam or “scum” will appear on the surface and it will smell sour.
Fermenting will stop bees being attracted and is important so that bees don’t take the bait. The CO2 released by fermentation may have a role to play in attracting wasps.
5. Fill your 4 bait stations (250ml each) and finally add in a drop of dishwashing detergent. This breaks the water surface tension so they don’t float on top and are trapped in the water instantly.
6. Hang your bait stations in the sun or shade between 1 or 2 meters from the ground
Replace screwcaps. Instructions for plastic milk bottle/soft drink bottle trap here
Recipe - Sugar based - Type 2
Water, Sugar, Alcohol based Vanilla Essence
This is an alternative mix
Method
This is a 1:1 ratio mix for the fermentation stage, 1 litre of water and 1kg of sugar, makes approximately 2.3 litres of mixture. Once fermented, it is enough to fill 4 traps.
Dissolve all the sugar in 1 litre Hot water.
Add 1kg cold water
Add 2 tsp vanilla essence (35% Alcohol based - Queen Red Label brand)
Add 2 teaspoons honey
Ingredients
- 1kg sugar
- 1 litre hot water
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence (35% Alcohol based - Queen Red Label brand)
- 2 teaspoons of honey
- 1 drop of dish washing liquid
4. Place the filled bait stations in a warm place for 2-4 days for the solution to ferment. Time to ferment depends on ambient air temperature. Fermenting will stop bees being attracted and is important so that bees don’t take the bait. The CO2 released by fermentation may have a role to play in attracting wasps.
5. Fill your 4 bait stations (500ml of fermented mixture and top up with water to just below the holes) and finally add in a drop of dishwashing detergent. This breaks the water surface tension so they are trapped in the water instantly.
6. Hang your bait stations in the shade between 1 or 2 meters from the ground
Replace screwcaps. Instructions for plastic milk bottle/soft drink bottle trap here