3 Simple Solutions for a More Pleasant, Insect-Free Outdoor Space
Summer is great in so many ways. The warmer weather means more time outside, time to play in the water, barbecue, and more. However, there is a dark side to this time of year: bugs. While not all bugs are bad, mosquitoes, wasps, flies, hornets, and other annoyances can quickly ruin your time outside.
Some insects, like fruit flies and mosquitoes, are just plain annoying. But when they encounter stinging or biting insects, like hornets and wasps, it can cause serious pain or damage. And that means you need to be proactive in keeping them away from your home.
There are a ton of products on the market that can help you ward off these pests, from sticky traps and buzzing electrical devices to lawn treatments and sprays. Since I’ve lived in the South and Midwest most of my life, I’ve used a lot of pre-made insect traps and repellents, but what really works are a few easy-to-make homemade insect traps. Below, I’ve outlined three different trap styles and several bait options, starting with the easiest. For more tips, read on the right place to put your houseplants so they stay alive, how to grow vegetables without a backyardand the scientific reasons behind why do you get so many mosquito bites.
The glass jar trap is ideal for catching small pests such as flies or mosquitoes.
1. Weck jar trap
This trap works great for small flying insects like fruit flies or mosquitoes. It is also the easiest of the three to make. Almost any container of similar size will work, but here I use a small, wide mason jar with a metal lid.
Take an awl or a pair of sharp scissors and make a few small holes in the lid (warning: adult supervision required). You can also cover the jar with plastic wrap and secure it with tape or a rubber band.
For bait, pour some apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish soap into the jar. The soap will coat their wings and weigh them down so they can’t escape from the jar. If you’re feeling generous, use beer instead of vinegar and send them away in style!
Useful against: Fruit flies, mosquitoes
Costs (excluding bait): $2 to $5
Tools needed: Sharp scissors, knife or awl
The plastic bottle trap can be used for larger enemies such as wasps, hornets and mosquitoes.
2. Plastic bottle siphon
The most versatile of the three options is the plastic bottle trap. You’ve probably seen examples of these. You can use any rigid plastic bottle that tapers at the top. Two-liter bottles are the most common type of trap, and that’s what I’m using to demonstrate here.
Cut the top off just before the bottle tapers. Turn that piece back into the bottle and secure it with tape or glue. The trap can be left as is, or use a piece of wire or string through the holes you would put on either side to hang it from a tree or hook.
The trick here is bait. You have many options. In all cases, to avoid catching desirable honeybees, avoid using honey and try adding a dash of vinegar or a piece of banana peel.
For mosquitoes
Take a quarter cup of brown sugar and dissolve it in a cup of hot water, then add a little dish soap. If available you can add a gram of yeast for an extra punch, but the sugar water itself should work just fine. Works best in shady dark areas. Consider covering it with clear plastic or painting it.
For flies
Bait with a mix of water and fruit scented dish soap. Try adding rotten fruit instead of sugar.
For hornets and wasps
Assuming the murder wasps won’t have us all by the time you read this, start in early spring with a base of water and dish soap. Choose a protein base and add cooked beef fat or pureed fish (the hornets may demand a whole steak).
Once summer rolls around, switch to a 50-50 sugar-water base with dish soap and sugary additives like apple cider vinegar or other fruit vinegar mixed in. Place in a sunny, well-lit spot.
Useful against: Mosquitoes, flies, hornets, wasps
Costs (excluding bait): $1 to $2
Tools needed: Scissors, tape or glue
This trap is one of the best ways to get rid of carpenter bees.
3. Wooden carpenter bee trap
Male carpenter bees generally pose no threat to humans, but female carpenter bees can sting and the small holes they can make in your outdoor wood structures can be annoying. Short of treating or painting your deck or whatever wooden target attracts them, this trap is the next best way to get rid of carpenter bees.
Get a single untreated cedar pole from your local hardware store (or use lumber of similar dimensions that you already have lying around). The pole I’m using is six feet long, five and a half inches wide, and five-eighths thick. Starting at the bottom of the pole (avoid the dog-eared end), cut six pieces that are each 10 inches long and one square piece that is four and seven-eighths inches.
The smaller piece is the bottom, where you will drill a hole to attach and glue a bottle cap. The other pieces will form the four sides and two for the overhanging top. Use small nails or screws to attach the pieces together. You can attach a hook to the top for hanging if you want, otherwise you can just use a piece of string or wire.
Using a 1/2 inch drill bit, drill holes in the center of the bottle cap and at least two sides of the trap. The holes should be near the top of the structure, angled upwards. The bees should be able to find their way into the bottle and not be able to get back out. Pull the bottle out to discard it whole (do not unscrew and let the bees out!), replace with a new bottle to start over.
Useful against: Carpenter bees
Costs (excluding bait): $4 to $6
Tools needed: Drill, saw, glue, screws (or hammer and nails), drill bits: one half inch, about the same size as the diameter of a bottle cap.
For more gardening tips, check out my recommendations for starting a vegetable gardenfor kill honeysuckle and for growing your own herbs At home.
