How to Make a Honey Bee Trap

Honeybees collect pollen and take it to the hive to be turned into honey, which in turn becomes the bee's food source and is available all year round. Honey has many benefits, including antibacterial qualities. If you consume local varieties, it may help fend off allergies. Honeybees also create beeswax to build their honeycombs with, which we use in a variety of everyday products. Although they have many benefits, bees can also be a nuisance, especially if you have an allergy to their stings. Using a bee trap is a great way to cut down the number of bees around your home.

Things You'll Need

• 20 ounce plastic bottle
• Box cutter
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• Funnel
• Twine

Instructions

1. Empty the contents of a 20 ounce plastic bottle and clean it thoroughly. If you are using a bottle with a sugar-based liquid, you can reserve some of the liquid to use in place of homemade sugar water.

2. Cut four X shapes into the bottle halfway down, using the box cutter. Each cut should be about 1/2 to 3/4 inches long. Be careful to make sure you have a firm hold on the bottle and keep your hands free of the blade.

3. Press the center of each X into the bottle. When you press the centers, there will be four small triangles from each X that point inward. This will create small holes that the bees can fly into, but they will not be able to fly back out.

4. Mix three tablespoons of sugar with a half cup of water. Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved.

5. Use a funnel to pour the sugar water mixture into the bottle. Be careful not to fill the bottle past the holes you cut. The liquid should be at least half an inch deep so there is enough to drown the bees.

6. Screw the cap back onto the bottle. The lid ensures that the bees cannot escape through the top.

7. Place the bottle on a deck railings or fence pole. You can also tie a piece of twine around the neck of the bottle and hang it from a tree or awning.

8. Refill the sugar mixture as needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Bees will be attracted to the sweetness of the sugar the same way they are attracted to the nectar in flowers. Once they enter the bottle, they will be unable to escape. They will survive in the bottle for a few days but eventually will drown.

References

• Honey Bee Facts
• Homemade Bee Traps