Homemade Bee Catcher

Flying critters are a nuisance when you're trying to enjoy a picnic. Especially annoying are wasps and yellow jackets, which have the propensity to sting even when unprovoked. Instead of battling these bugs with constant use of bug repellent, you can make a homemade bee catcher that will immediately eliminate this pest problem.

Bees are a crucial part of the ecosystem. With a recent decline in bee populations, bees should stay unharmed as they are responsible for pollinating one-quarter of the world's plants. In addition to that, honeybees and bumblebees aren't aggressive. Only when they're provoked will they attack. Unlike its close relative, wasps and yellow jackets don't pollinate any plants. In addition to this, wasps and yellow jackets may sting even if unprovoked.

To make a homemade bee catcher, you need a two-liter plastic bottle, scissors, dog food (if you want to catch wasps and yellow jackets only) and honey or anything with sugar (if you want to catch wasps, bees and yellow jackets). Cut off the top one-quarter of the two-liter bottle where the bottle neck is. Depending on what you want to catch, place either dog food or honey inside the bottle. Invert the bottle neck piece upside down and place it into the bottle. Make sure that it snugly fits into the bottle. Stand the bottle upright where many wasps can be found. Because of the bottle neck, wasps and bees will have an easy time entering the bottle but a difficult time leaving it. When it becomes full of dead insects, throw away the entire bottle. Don't reuse it.

Since their purpose is to pollinate flowers, bees are naturally attracted to sweet substances. As such, when you're making the bee catcher, you should place a sugary liquid into the bottle. Possibilities include honey, sugary water and sweet perfumes. Please note that even if you intend to only catch bees, wasps and yellow jackets are attracted to sweet foods as well.

Wasps and yellow jackets don't have such slim food preferences as bees do. In fact, their attraction to various foods changes with the seasons. During the spring months, wasps and yellow jackets prefer protein-heavy foods, such as dog food and meats. In the fall months, they enjoy sweet foods, such as soda pop, juice and fruits. When making a trap for wasps and yellow jackets, consider the time of the year and plan accordingly. If they're bothering you in September, place rotting fruit in the bottle to catch the wasps.