After a few years of use, the acrylic glue I used to seal the bottom melted off in the heat! It was a mess, I threw the traps away. I replaced them with something else last summer, and it wasn't as effective as these traps. So I purchased a new set for this year.
One thing I'm happy about, I didn't have to seal the bottoms! It appears Aspectek read our many reviews, and used their own glue to seal the bottom portion. Perfect! I'm hoping it's long lasting glue, finger's crossed!
I still stand by my bait recipe, it's magic when it comes to catching these little devils and great for repelling the bees!
It occurred to me that I didn't mention how I applied the Vaseline to the openings. I use Q-Tips! You know the Q-Tips you probably hate, the ones that are loose? Those are the best to use, they act like tiny paint brushes and get underneath the entrance holes easier.
Full disclosure, I have long slender hands/fingers. That helps to get the bottom holes/entrances.
If I end up with chunks of Vaseline sticking out of the holes (which blocks the wasps from getting inside), I use a clean Q-Tip from the outside of the trap, and wipe the chunks out of the way.
Highly recommended! I'll update later if that opinion changes. Thanks for reading, I hope this helps!
P.S. I've added 2 new photos. One showing the Vaseline on the holes and one showing the Aspectek glue along the bottom.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (Dec 2016):
I purchased this April 2016, put them outside in May 2016 and retired them for the winter in Oct 2016. Here's how it went.
After reading the reviews (thanks guys!) I decided I would be okay with the gap where the two plastic parts come together. I have a high heat glue gun with acrylic glue, so right out of the package, I sealed it up along the bottom.
It took a bit of experimenting, but I figured out a recipe that the wasps seem to love. I use a glass measuring cup to mix it together, it's easier for pouring inside the trap.
BAIT RECIPE
It equals roughly 鈪 cup. Anything more then that, and you'll be spilling over.
Ingredients: 鈥 3 tbsp Sugar 鈥 1 shot of Water 鈥 1 shot of Cranberry Juice 鈥 1 shot of Vinegar
After you've dissovled the sugar: 鈥 2 drops of Dawn Soap (or whatever dish soap you have on hand)
NOTE: The reason for the soap? We're drowning these poor buggers and the soap breaks the surface tension; they can't escape once they've fallen in.
Directions: 1. Mix all of the ingredients together with a fork until the sugar is completely dissolved. 2. Use 2 drops of Dawn Soap (or similar) and slowly mix it in, so you don't get suds. 3. While the trap is sitting on a level surface, slowly pour the mixture inside of it.
I've never caught any bees with my recipe, I have caught flies. Thankfully my recipe appears too tangy for the bees!
It's easy to rinse/clean; I also apply Vaseline to the inside of the entrance holes. If they try to escape, they can't get a proper grip.
Both of the strings that hang the traps, snapped in half before the season was done. It seemed like the sun/heat dried them out until they were brittle, but the traps landed in the grass, so they didn't crack or break. I already had some cotton twine in the house, I used that to replace them no problem.
I've trapped hundreds, if not thousands of wasps this season. It's not a perfect trap, but it's pretty close. If you don't have a hot glue gun, I'm not sure this would be worth purchasing.
Hopefully I've helped you make an informed decision. Recommended with caution!
After a few years of use, the acrylic glue I used to seal the bottom melted off in the heat! It was a mess, I threw the traps away. I replaced them with something else last summer, and it wasn't as effective as these traps. So I purchased a new set for this year.
One thing I'm happy about, I didn't have to seal the bottoms! It appears Aspectek read our many reviews, and used their own glue to seal the bottom portion. Perfect! I'm hoping it's long lasting glue, finger's crossed!
I still stand by my bait recipe, it's magic when it comes to catching these little devils and great for repelling the bees!
It occurred to me that I didn't mention how I applied the Vaseline to the openings. I use Q-Tips! You know the Q-Tips you probably hate, the ones that are loose? Those are the best to use, they act like tiny paint brushes and get underneath the entrance holes easier.
Full disclosure, I have long slender hands/fingers. That helps to get the bottom holes/entrances.
If I end up with chunks of Vaseline sticking out of the holes (which blocks the wasps from getting inside), I use a clean Q-Tip from the outside of the trap, and wipe the chunks out of the way.
Highly recommended! I'll update later if that opinion changes. Thanks for reading, I hope this helps!
P.S. I've added 2 new photos. One showing the Vaseline on the holes and one showing the Aspectek glue along the bottom.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (Dec 2016):
I purchased this April 2016, put them outside in May 2016 and retired them for the winter in Oct 2016. Here's how it went.
After reading the reviews (thanks guys!) I decided I would be okay with the gap where the two plastic parts come together. I have a high heat glue gun with acrylic glue, so right out of the package, I sealed it up along the bottom.
It took a bit of experimenting, but I figured out a recipe that the wasps seem to love. I use a glass measuring cup to mix it together, it's easier for pouring inside the trap.
BAIT RECIPE
It equals roughly 鈪 cup. Anything more then that, and you'll be spilling over.
Ingredients: 鈥 3 tbsp Sugar 鈥 1 shot of Water 鈥 1 shot of Cranberry Juice 鈥 1 shot of Vinegar
After you've dissovled the sugar: 鈥 2 drops of Dawn Soap (or whatever dish soap you have on hand)
NOTE: The reason for the soap? We're drowning these poor buggers and the soap breaks the surface tension; they can't escape once they've fallen in.
Directions: 1. Mix all of the ingredients together with a fork until the sugar is completely dissolved. 2. Use 2 drops of Dawn Soap (or similar) and slowly mix it in, so you don't get suds. 3. While the trap is sitting on a level surface, slowly pour the mixture inside of it.
I've never caught any bees with my recipe, I have caught flies. Thankfully my recipe appears too tangy for the bees!
It's easy to rinse/clean; I also apply Vaseline to the inside of the entrance holes. If they try to escape, they can't get a proper grip.
Both of the strings that hang the traps, snapped in half before the season was done. It seemed like the sun/heat dried them out until they were brittle, but the traps landed in the grass, so they didn't crack or break. I already had some cotton twine in the house, I used that to replace them no problem.
I've trapped hundreds, if not thousands of wasps this season. It's not a perfect trap, but it's pretty close. If you don't have a hot glue gun, I'm not sure this would be worth purchasing.
Hopefully I've helped you make an informed decision. Recommended with caution!