Wasp trap

Another model of wasp trap. Easily printed, fast, and working.

 

Wasps are currently (summer 2024) a big problem in the Czech republic, they are overcrowded, and are attacking people a lot. And they eat every fruits on gardens. Disaster.

 

To help protect us and fruits, I designed a printed this wasp trap. After reading a few tips on how to lure them into a trap, I found that the best lure is BEER AND DETERGENT. Use alcoholic beer, even the cheapest one. Sweet syrups didn't work. Then put drop or two of diswashing detergent to cancel the surface tension. Moreover, beer attracts wasps, but not bees. It attracts also hornets, but they are so big, that they don't pass inside (hey, don't drink beer, fly to eat wasps! :-) )

 

In 3MF file you will find 2 versions of bottom part and 3 versions of upper part.

 

Bottom: v2 is the normal version and works fine. In v3 I tried to reinforce places by bayonet. But v2 works fine, altough printed doesn't look 100%

 

Upper part:

v3-has very small cones to inside. Smell of beer attracts wasps very well, but they are able to find way out. Even that, a lot of them died inside.

v4-a try to improve inner cones by prolonging them a bit. Still attracts wasps very well, but they are still able to find way out.

v5-inner cones are so large and so well positioned, that wasps cannot find way out, as they climb on dome inner side, but don't climb on cones. However, smell from beer does't spread to surroundings as by v3 and v4, so wasps are not attracted so much as by the previous versions. I thought about drilling 2mm holes around cupola to allow beer smell spreading.

 

All three domes are worth to try.

 

Material: I printed bottom part from PLA and top part transparent PETG, that I thought that I can better see to inside. It is a bit better than non-transparent, but is not like a glass. You can see wasps climbing on dome, but not beer surface and died wasps there. So few of them I printed with red PLA.

 

It can be hanged on tree. Although bayonet is tiny, it holds. Be careful when closing/assembling, turn it only by 1mm clockwise to close dome.

 

Boost MeI will buy a beer for every of your boost. For wasps, of course. :-)