Make a Flying Insect Trap for Your Garden - Cheap and Easy, Yet Effective Pest Control

Some flying insects such as wasps, bees and yellowjackets are beneficial to the garden as pollinators and predators of caterpillars and house, manure and fruit flies, however if their sheer numbers threaten your outdoor enjoyment or work in the garden, or if their nests are located near entryways to the house, then a trap is appropriate to decrease their population.

First, cut the top of an empty 2 liter soda bottle at its "shoulder." Next, invert this "funnel" into the lower portion of the bottle and staple it to the sides in several places. Punch a small hole in opposite sides of the bottle's open end and "funnel" and insert a loop of twine, wire or a coat hanger. Fill the bottle 1/3 full with a sugar and protein mixture such as a little milk over some peanut butter or any ripe fruit. The insects will be attracted to the mixture, fly in and be unable to find their way out and will drown. I like to add a few drops of hot sauce or pepper to the elixir to make sure they get an upset stomach(foregut) in the meantime. Finally, hang in a tree a few feet away from where the insect activity is heaviest. Hanging multiple traps will increase your chances of quick success. Make sure to renew the attractant mixture every few days or after any heavy rains, dumping the spent insects onto the compost pile.