subject: Wasp Traps: Do it Yourself Wasp Control [print this page] Wasp traps are a great option for managing a wasp problem without the use of pesticides or other harmful chemicals and without the expense of using a professional exterminator. They are inexpensive, non-toxic, and very effective, especially in instances when a hive is not close to your home or not visible. Wasp traps that are properly baited will also have no impact on beneficial honey bees.
If you do find an active wasp hive in an area such as a playground, near the entrance to your home, or another location with frequent human activity, removal of the hive by a professional exterminator will be necessary. But wasps are a very important part of the ecosystem: they consume massive numbers of insects and spiders. If a wasp hive is not in a sensitive area, it's best to leave it alone and control errant wasps with traps rather than destroying the entire hive.
For many wasps, including yellowjackets, if you set out multiple traps in the late winter or early spring before large numbers of wasps are around you are likely to trap one or several queens. Trapping these queens keeps them from starting a hive that could easily grow to include several thousand adult wasps by the late summer. Trapping queens may well reduce the overall wasp population for the entire season. While one trap for acre may be adequate in the spring to catch the queens, you'll need to set out several later in the summer when wasp activity increases.
So what about pesticides? Or other home remedies like pouring gasoline into a hive in the ground? Pesticides can work, but they are poisonous. They are harmful to the environment, can contaminate the water supply, and pose risks to children and pets, as well as to the person using the pesticides. And while gasoline or other fuel or chemicals can kill wasps, pouring those products into the ground ensures that they will find their way into the local water supply.
