Sunday, August 4, 2013

Bee Safe Wasp Catcher-The Maker Movement

The Maker Movement:   Part techie, part Do-It Yourself.  The Make Movement has its emphasis, simply put: on having students and adults make something.  The Maker Movement encourages creativity, new ideas, innovation and thinking outside the box.   Some of the makers are actual entrepreneurs and inventors.   Other Makers are amateurs or enthusiasts from a certain area of interest such as electronics or gardening.   Maker Faires are popping up all over the place.  For more information on Maker Faires see http://makerfaire.com/maker-movement/


Today I am going to show you a simple DIY maker that can be a fun and successful entry into the Maker world.

Background:   What is the necessity for this invention?   During the summer my garden is plagued by wasps.   They buzz around the cat's food, humming bird feeder, pond and chicken coop.   They are annoying at picnics.  I really want to deter them, but I am uncomfortable with pesticides and reluctant to trap the helpful bees in the area.

How to make a wasp catcher that won't harm the bees:

1. Start with an empty two liter soda bottle
2. Cut off the top and turn it over so it is like a funnel.  Place inside the empty bottle.  Set aside.
3. Mix 4 parts water to 1 part white sugar, heat in a medium saucepan.   (Incidentally, this is also my recipe for humming bird food) Allow mixture to cool.   

4. Poor cooled mixture into the bottom of the soda bottle.  About 1.5 -2 inches high.    Add 2-3 drops of white vinegar.   ( The vinegar attracts the wasps, as they seem to enjoy a more salty/fermented mixture, but will not attract bees). 

5.  Place it outside near your wasp gathering.  The wasps go in through the opening, but seem to have trouble figuring out how to get out.   

When you have collected all the wasps that you want, you can discard the dead wasps and restart the process.    

If you like this idea, you might like my products Make a Shape Book and Templates for Interactive Notebooks

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