How to Trap Hornets

Milk Jug Trap

• 1

  Cut a 2-inch hole into the top of one side of a milk jug. Cut out the hole entirely or leave one side of the hole uncut, creating a flap. If you opt for a flap, cut the hole on the left, right and bottom and leave the plastic attached on the top. Fold the cut-out portion upward. The flap may give the appearance that there is no opening in the jug which, will confuse the hornet once it is inside.

• 2

  Measure 1 inch down from the bottom of the hole you just cut. Poke a hole in one side of the jug at that location with a thumbtack. Then poke another hole at the same level directly across from the first hole.

• 3

  Pierce a chunk of meat bait through the center with a sharp wire and wrap the wire around it to keep it in place. The bait can be fish, chicken or beef. It will be easier to pierce and wrap if the piece is frozen and allowed to thaw inside the trap. Insert one end of the wire into the hole you punched with the thumbtack and the other end into the other hole. You will adjust the height later.

• 4

  Add 1 tsp. dish soap to the interior of the jug and pour 2 1/2 inches of water into the jug. The soap will break up the water tension that allows insects, including hornets to "walk" on the surface of the water.

• 5

  Adjust the height of the bait until it is 1 inch over the suds. This clearance will allow a hornet to enter the trap, swipe a chunk of meat and get pulled into the water with the weight of the bait it takes.

• 6

  Set the trap out away from people but close enough to the hornet activity that they will find it easily. The one drawback of this trap, its wide open entrance, may also be it's best feature. The entrance allows a few lucky hornets to escape, so approaching this trap in the heat of the day when hornets are hunting is not advisable. By the same token, the lucky hornets fly back to the nest to tell others about the free meal, which can lead to more victims for the trap.

Soda Bottle Trap

• 7

  Cut off the top third of a 2-liter soda bottle. Set the cut piece aside and remove the lid.

• 8

  Measure 3 inches down from the opening in the bottom two-thirds of the soda bottle and poke two holes across from each other on the soda bottle with a thumbtack.

• 9

  Pierce bait meat with a sharp wire and wrap the wire around the bait to secure it. Insert one end of the wire into one of the holes and the other end into the other hole. The bait should dangle down in the center of the cut bottle.

• 10

  Add 1 tsp. of dish soap to the bottom two-thirds of the bottle. Add 2 inches of water to the bottle.

• 11

  Adjust the bait so it hovers just over the level of the water. Invert the top half of the bottle and insert it into the bottom half. Secure it in place with bright yellow duct tape. Set this trap out away from people and pets. The hornets will smell the bait and enter through the narrow hole in the bottle. They will take the bait and not be able to find their way out. Eventually they will drop into the water and drown.