Wasp Lures

A lure gives off a scent wasps find more attractive than whatever they are currently working, drawing them away from people and into a trap they cannot escape from.

The lures are non-toxic. Place traps out of reach of children and pets, and site them away from where people sit rather than beside the table.

3-5 metres from the area you want to protect - a dining space, a doorway, a patio - and never in the middle of it, because the lure pulls wasps towards the trap. Site them near bins, fruit trees, or the route you have watched wasps taking, and in sun rather than deep shade.

It changes through the season. A protein-based bait works better early in the year, while workers are hunting insects to feed the brood. A sweet bait works better later in the summer, once the colony peaks and workers switch to seeking sugar - which is also when wasps start bothering bins, drinks and barbecues. Matching the bait to the time of year does more for catch rates than adding traps.

Liquid lures can be used with refillable traps and topped up as needed. Disposable bag traps are single-use and should be replaced once full. A lure that has dried out or been diluted by rain has stopped working even if the trap still looks fine.

Sugary bait does draw wasps late in the season, when workers switch to seeking sugar, but it also attracts bees and hoverflies. A formulated wasp lure is designed to be more selective, which matters if you would rather not be catching pollinators - honey bees and bumblebees should not be killed. Whichever you use, empty the trap regularly, since one full of decomposing insects stops drawing wasps in.

Two different pictures. An untouched trap usually means the lure has dried out or been diluted, or the trap is in shade or off the flight line - refresh the lure and move it onto the route you have observed. It may also be the wrong bait for the time of year, since protein suits early season and sweet suits late. A trap that is filling while wasps still bother you means a nest nearby is producing workers faster than a trap can catch them, and trapping alone will not keep pace.

Check eaves, sheds, garages and bird boxes in spring, while a nest is still small and a single queen is building it. Keep bins closed, clear fallen fruit, and cover sugary drinks outdoors. Putting traps out early in the season, when queens are on the wing, does more than trapping at the August peak.