European Wasp Trap and Bait - FAQs

The European Wasp, Vespula germanica, is an introduced pest wasp species that scavenges on meat and sweet drinks at picnics, barbecues and al fresco dining venues. They can sting multiple times and can attack in large numbers if their nest is disturbed.

European Wasps are attracted to the odours created by our uniquely formulated bait of purely food-grade ingredients. The EnviroSafe Wasp Bait contains no toxic chemicals or insecticides. The wasps enter through holes in the lid of the trap and are prevented from escaping when they land in the liquid in the trap.

Yes! After several weeks you can dispose of the trapped insects, wash out the trap and re-set it with a fresh bait, available separately. The sturdy trap can be re-used many times before being recycled in the kerbside recycling system.

No. The EnviroSafe European Wasp Bait will not attract native wasp species or bees as these species forage for other types of food and do not scavenge on human food.

The European wasp is about the size of a bee, and has yellow and black stripes on the body, often with black spots along the sides. They have black antennae, and when they fly, they hold their legs up rather than dangling them like other wasp species. Their nests are usually underground or out of sight, in a wall cavity or tree hole. They are a nuisance at barbecues as they are strongly attracted to the smell of cooking meat. See our European Wasp Identification Guide for more information.

The bait will attract wasps for 2 - 3 weeks.

If the water level drops, you should top it up with more water using a hose directed through the holes in the top of the trap. Do not allow the trap to dry out.

If you find that you’re catching more blowflies than European wasps, especially during the summer when blowfly numbers peak, there are a couple of things you can try. Firstly, consider passing the contents of the trap through a sieve to separate the flies from the bait. This way, you can keep the bait fresh and effective while removing the caught flies which will start to attract more flies as they decompose. Additionally, experimenting with different locations for your trap might help attract more European wasps. If you’re still catching too many flies despite these adjustments, it might be helpful to wait a couple of weeks before resetting the trap to see how the situation changes with time. Autumn is the peak period for European wasps so you will notice a shift in the types of insects caught in autumn, with fewer blowflies and more European wasps in the trap.

We recommend trap maintenance and wasp disposal be carried out in the mornings before wasps become active. The trap contents can most easily be disposed of by tipping it into your compost bin if you have one. If you don’t have a compost bin, drain any excess water out of the trap through the entry holes, remove the lid and tip the insects into a compostable plastic bag to be placed into your council Green Bin (Food and Garden Organics bin). If neither of these are available to you, simply drain and tip the contents into an ordinary plastic bag, tie securely and place the bag into your General Waste bin. Do not touch the dead wasps as wasp stingers can sometimes still deliver a sting after the death of a wasp.

To avoid the possibility of dogs digging up the trap contents and possibly being stung by dead wasps, we do not recommend burying wasps in a hole in the ground.

If you are stung by a wasp, follow the Australian Government health advice available here.

The bait will become attractive as soon as water is added, so we recommend you prepare the trap and bait indoors. Hang the trap outside in the cool of the morning before wasps become active.

• Step 1: Remove the label and bait sachet from inside the trap.
• Step 2: Tear open the sachet of bait and pour the contents into your trap.
• Step 3: Fill the trap to 1/3 of its volume with water.
• Step 4: Swirl or stir to mix thoroughly.
• Step 5: Hang the trap securely out of reach of children and pets, in the vicinity of where European Wasps have been seen.

• To avoid excessive evaporation of the liquid in the bait, place the trap in a shady position.
• Place the trap in a prominent position that can easily be seen and located by European Wasps. For example, you could hang it on a short pergola hook under the veranda, or wire it securely in a shady position on an outer branch of a tree.
• European Wasps usually fly in a direct line between their food source and their nest. If you have observed wasps coming from one particular direction, place the trap along that flight path.

EnviroSafe European Wasp Traps and Baits are available at Bunnings.