if you are like my step mom, you can drop $50+ on a fancy wasp/bee trap.  if you are like me and prefer to spend money on music, video games, and alcohol, then there is an answer.

Take a plastic bottle and cut the neck off. (The neck is the cone part of the bottle including the cap.)

Flip the neck upside-down, removing the cap first, and place it in to the bottle.

Tape and/or staple the top together with the bottom of the bottle. Keep in mind that you will need to take them apart often to switch out the bait and remove dead wasps.

Bait your trap. It should not reach the opening of the bottle (The wasps should have to completely enter the trap in order to access the bait). You can also do this before you attach the two pieces together. Some bait ideas:

• Meat - This is the best choice in the spring and late winter because wasps are making nests and laying eggs, so they're searching for high protein food; you may even catch a queen this way, in which case the wasps will relocate their nest.

* Dishwashing liquid and water

* Mashed grapes

* Sugar and lemon juice

* Sugar and water

Tape some string to the bottle, (or make holes and put the string through) and hang it up in an area with many wasps.

Empty the trap regularly. Be sure the wasps are dead before removing them. Not only do you want to prevent an angry sting, but living wasps that escape may return aggressively with their friends. Pour hot, soapy water into the funnel (the upside-down neck of the bottle) to make sure, or put a plastic bag over the trap and put it in the freezer for a few days.  Bury the dead wasps, or flush them down the toilet, as their bodies might release a chemical that alerts the rest of the colony of their fate.